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Dateline: 318 kilometers from the Gulf of Mexico
Nick Martinez was scheduled to start the Cactus League against the San Francisco Giants on March 7 and Nick Lodolo was scheduled to start the game on March 8 against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Lodolo is scheduled to start the second game of the regular season against the Giants on Saturday March 29.
With the rainout, Martinez and Lodolo pitched on the back fields in minor league camp.
“We sent Lodolo to the back fields today,” Francona said. “We’re sending (Will) Benson and (Santiago) Espinal; guys that were going to play yesterday. They can get as many at bats as they want and we don’t have to play a ‘B' game.”
Lodolo threw 63 pitches that kept him on track to build innings leading up to his first regular season start.
“DJ (pitching coach Derek Johnson) said that Lodolo threw his breaking ball very well. He got under a few fastballs but he was pleased with his outing.”
Lyon Richardson, Bryan Shaw, Joe La Sorsa, Lenny Torres and Taylor Rogers pitched one scoreless inning each. Ian Gibaut gave up a run. Alex Young hit the leadoff batter, then loaded the bases. Former Reds’ slugger, Eugenio Suarez, hit a grand slam home run. Sam Moll gave up a run on two hits. Luis Mey pitched the ninth. He struck out the first two batters. Christian Cerda reached on a play that should have been made by Tyler Callihan that was ruled an infield single. Jack Hurley hit a two-run home run but Mey closed the inning. The Reds held on for a 9-8 win,
“Alex Young had a tough inning,” Francona said. “He hit the leadoff hitter, so often when you walk the first hitter, you see things happen but he just had trouble with command of his breaking ball. We had a lot of good stuff happen, La Sorsa, Shaw. There was a lot of good stuff.”
Hitting:
The Reds reached base nine times by walks. Jake Fraley and Tyler Stephenson were hit by pitches. Stephenson was hit in the back and is o.k. according to Francona.
“I bet it hurt though,” Francona said.
The Reds had nine hits. TJ Friedl had a single. Elly De La Cruz had an RBI single and stole a base. Jacob Hurtubise legged out an infield hit and has a .571 batting average for the spring. Gavin Lux had two hits, including an RBI single and walked twice. Austin Hays had two hits and drove in two runs. Christian Encarnacion-Strand hit his third home run with a man on against Jordan Montgomery.
“We had 15 full counts and 10 of them we got on base,” Francona said. “Val’s (hitting coach Chris Valaika) has been preaching that a lot. That was really good to see.”
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