Braves Scalp The Sheriff Retains MLB Best Record

 https://gofund.me/b67c71781

Dateline: Cincinnati

The Atlanta Braves showed Chris Paddack and the Reds why they have the best record in baseball. They scored early off the newest Reds' starter with four runs in the first to innings on the way to an 8-3 win, improving to 39-19. 

Paddack, the sheriff,  lost his second decision as a Reds' pitcher and dropped to 0-7 on the season as the Reds dropped to 29-27 on the season. 

Ronald Acuna Jr. opened the game with his fourth home run of the season against Reds' starter, Chris Paddack. It was the third time Acuna has led off a game with a home run.

After that Blake Dunn took over, the next batter, Michael Harris II made a bid for his 13th home run of the season but Dunn plucked it out of the first row of the seats in right center field. Matt Olson hit a line drive off the base of the fence in right. Dunn played the carom and threw a strike to Elly De La Cruz to nail Olson at second base.

"It didn't start off great after giving up a leadoff homer," Paddack said. "I definitely owe Dunn a steak dinner. You never want to see those plays because it shows I'm not pitching well but robbing the home run and the throw out at second was impressive. I said after the last start, I feel like it's been a trend, I'm walking guys, getting out of the zone on counts I want to be putting away guys. All three of the walks scored. When I don't walk guys and attacking the zone, I'm able to put up some zeroes. I just have to be better."

The Braves loaded the bases in the second inning. Dominic Smith singled. Austin Riley and Mike Yastremski walked to load the bases with no outs. Jorge Mateo forced Yastremski at second as Smith scored. Chadwick Tromp flew out to right to plate Riley. Mateo stole second as Acuna walked. Harris singled to score Mateo. 

JJ Bleday took Braves starter, Grant Holmes, out of the park with his eighth home run of the season. Sal Stewart followed with a double down the left field line. Stewart was thrown out attempting to steal third, right before Nathaniel Lowe belted his ninth home run of the season. Spencer Steer singled with two outs. 

The Reds put pressure on Holmes in the fifth. TJ Friedl bunted for a base hit to start the inning. Dunn flied out. De La Cruz struck out but Bleday singles to right as Friedl took third. Stewart drove in the Reds third run with a single off reliever Didier Fuentes.

"The first inning could have been worse, the leadoff home run, then Dunner makes a good play and then another good play," Francona said. "I could have gotten ugly. To Paddack's credit, he hung in there. He got us through five where, even after an off day we didn't want to get into our bullpen in the second inning. DJ thought Paddack had about had it. He was starting to get pitches up. He had 86 pitches."

Yunior Marte took over for Paddack in the sixth. Paddack lasted five innings, allowing four runs on seven hits and three costly walks. He struck out no one and allowed a home run.

Smith greated Marte with a single and he hit Riley with a pitch. Yastremski doubled to score Smith and put runners on second and third. Mateo singled to score Riley. Marte struck out Tromp. Acuna was walked intentionally. Caleb Ferguson took over and Harris third hit of the game scored two runs. He struck out Olson and Albies to end the inning.

"There is so much to like there with Marte. Like we talked about before the game he's just not quite consistent enough with his pitches. He throws some really good ones, then he leaves one over the plate. Give DJ some time to work with him," Francona said. 

The Sherrif Versus Holmes At GABP

    https://gofund.me/b67c71781

Dateline: Cincinnati

The Reds open a three-game series against the hottest team in Major League baseball when the Atlanta Braves try to ambush the Reds at Great American Ball Park.

The Reds send the "Sheriff" Chris Paddack to stop them.

The Reds picked Paddack off waivers on May 13 and he's turned in two decent starts for the Reds. 

"He's tried to simplify his arsenal a little bit," Terry Francona said. "He's spun the ball and his change up's been good. It is the third start we've seen him so we don't know him all that great but it's been fun getting to know him. He's a good kid and he's throwing strikes. This will be a good challenge for him tonight but he's been welcome."

Paddack's two starts for the Reds both resulted in losses. He pitched five innings against the Cleveland Guardians on May 16, allowing two earned runs. He pitched five innings in his last start against the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday, allowing three runs in five innings.

Including his time with the Miami Marlins, Paddack is 0-6 with a 6.86 ERA in eight starts. 

Paddack has five appearances with four starts against the Braves, lifetime. He is 2-1 with a 2.45 ERA. His last appearance against them was on September 19 last season as a member of the Detroit Tigers. He gave up two runs in five innings on three hits, including a home run to Ha-Seong Kim.

His mound opponent is Grant Holmes as opposed to Sherlock Holmes.

He is 3-2 with a 3.78 ERA in 10 starts, four of them quality starts. He is 2-1 in his last five starts, his last on May 23 against the Washington Nationals. He allowed two runs on six hits and two walks in five innings. Prior to that he shutout the Boston Red Sox for six innings on five hits and a walk.

Holmes has pitched against the Reds four times with two starts during his career. He is 0-1 with a 5.14 ERA. His last start against the Reds was on May 7 last season. He pitched 5 1/3 innings allowing four runs on seven hits, including two home runs by TJ Friedl which is why the struggling outfielder is in the starting lineup.

The Reds lineup is:

Blake Dunn RF

Elly De La Cruz SS

JJ Bleday LF

Sal Stewart 3B

Eugenio Suarez DH

Nathaniel Lowe 1B

Spencer Steer 2B

Tyler Stephenson C

TJ Friedl CF

The Braves with the best record in baseball with a 38-19 record lineup:

Ronald Acuna Jr. RF

Michael Harris II LF

Matt Olson 1B

Ozzie Albies 2B

Dominic Smith DH

Austin Riley 3B

Mike Yastremski LF

Jorge Mateo SS

Chadwick Tromp C

Graham Ashcraft Injury Bulpen Shuffle Hunter Greene, Rhett Lowder Get Closer

    https://gofund.me/b67c71781

Dateline: Cincinnati

Graham Ashcraft felt soreness in his right elbow Tuesday (052626) in New York. The Reds placed him on the 60-day injured list and selected the contract of  Yunior Marte.

"I felt it a little bit last year," Ashcraft said. "I had what the called an extension overload. I felt it in the same spot, I thought that's what it was going to be. It just felt different. Last year it was isolated in a specific muscle. This year it felt like the entire flexor was strained. That's kind of a sign of an ACL sprain."

"Graham did some things for us that were a little unique for us," Terry Francona said. "We don't have anybody to do those things now. I can't tell you how I'm going to use Marte. We haven't seen him since spring training."

Marte has 102 games of Major League experience with a 2-2 record with two saves, pitching for the San Francisco Giants and Philadelphia Phillies. He has a 5.64 ERA in 113 1/3 innings with 54 walks and 105 strikeouts. Marte has surrendered 16 home run.

The Reds signed Marte to a minor league contract for the 2026 season on January 22.

This spring, Marte appeared in six games, pitching six innings, allowing five earned runs on nine hits a two walks. He struck out 11. He was reassigned on March 13 and pitched in Triple A Louisville. 

"He has a big arm," Terry Francona said. "There are some inconsistencies. He is a guy who really intrigued us in spring because of the arm. He didn't start out good but he's been better. Relievers sometimes you get them on a roll. He has the stuff."

Marte pitched in relief during 20 appearances at Louisville. He has a 2-0 record with a 5.12 ERA. He finished 10 games and saved five of them. He logged 19 1/3 innings, walking 12 and fanning 26.

Ashcraft appeared in 26 games for the Reds. He had a 1-1 record and 3.33 ERA that included a four run effort in which he walked four batters on 12 pitches without recording an out. He recorded a save and pitched 27 innings, walking 16 striking out 32. He last pitched on Monday night in New York. 

Hunter Greene was back in Cincinnati after a throwing program completed in Goodyear, Arizona. He had bone chips removed from his right elbow on March 11.

"It is a massive difference. It's like a light switch. I had a conversation with (Brock) Burke not too long ago. As professionals we're used to pushing through discomfort," Greene said. "Once the discomfort's gone it's like, this is what it's supposed to feel like," Greene said. "There are a lot of mental things and trying to stay sharp. Everytime, I've had to rehab, there is a different perspective that I get. My situation is not as daunting or as bad as I feel. It is special to have those epiphanies and those moments. It gives you a perspective that it's not as bad as how I feel."

"Everybody is panicking and it's like, 'Oh man, sidelined again.' It's my career. It's my life. You don't think I'm the most frustrated and affected by it? So when you go through that and you see other people's life situation. It really gives you that perspective," Greene explained. 

Greene was scheduled to throw a bullpen today, his second and he will throw a third bullpen on Monday. 

Rhett Lowder will pitch on Tuesday night for the Louisville Bats in Memphis. He is scheduled to throw 70 pitches.

Key Hits Elude Reds Denied Sweep

   https://gofund.me/b67c71781

Dateline: Cincinnati

The Reds didn’t get a key hit when they needed one stranding 17 base runners in a 4-2 loss to the New York Mets.

 It was a bullpen day for the Mets.

The Reds were 2-for-15 with runners in scoring position.

“We just didn’t hit some far enough,” Terry Francona said. “We had good at bats throughout.”

There modest winning streak ends at three wit the Atlanta Braves due in for the weekend.

Andrew  Abbott gave up two out home runs to Juan Soto, his 12th and Eric Wagaman his first of the year.

The Reds created plenty of traffic for opener Huascar Brazoban and bulk pitcher Jonah Tong but managed one unearned run through five innings. 

Tong pitched 3 2/3 allowing an unearned run on three hits but he walked four, while getting credit for the win.

Elly De La Cruz reached on a throwing error by Tong. Nathaniel Lowe singled with two outs to score De La Cruz.

A two-out error by De La Cruz allowed the Mets to extend the lead after Luis Torrens and Carson singled to score Brett Baty.

Tyler Stephenson opened the bottom of the sixth with a double off Tobias Myers. TJ Friedl popped up in the infield. Blake Dunn singled for his second hit of the game but Stephenson had to stay at third. De La Cruz was hit by a pitch by lefty Brooks Ramey, loading the bases. JJ Bleday was retired on an infield fly. Sal Stewart beat out an infield hit to score Stephenson.

Abbott finished with six innings, allowing three runs, two earned on five hits and a walk. He struck out four.

Benge drove in another run after Jared Young single to start the seventh off Zach Maxwell. “Big Sugar” got the next two batters but Benge single restored the Mets two-run lead. Maxwell walked Bichette and Terry Francona brought lefty Caleb Ferguson to face Soto in his first appearance of the year. Ferguson recovered from a strained oblique. Backup catcher PJ Higgins was called for catcher’s interference but got Mark Vientos to foul out to Dunn in right.

Devin Williams relieved Luke Weaver who held the Reds for x innings.

Williams came into the game with a lifetime 34 appearances against the Reds. He had a 2-1 record and a 1.32 ERA. He finished 17 games in those appearances with 15 saves.

He walked three batters but struck out three getting Myers and Dunn in strikeout s with the bases loaded for his eighth save of the season.

Every Reds’ starter reached base at least once and three of the four bench players reached base, Higgins with a walk, Matt McLain and Will Benson were pinch runners. Only Myers failed to reach base.

Sweep The Mets Francona’s Instruction To Andrew Abbott

   https://gofund.me/b67c71781

Dateline: Cincinnati 

Resurgent All-Star left hander Andrew Abbott is given the ball with one instruction beat the New York Mets and secure a sweep.

 Why is this important?

Last season the Mets and Reds had the exact same record at the end of the season. They were tied for the last playoff spot. The Reds owned the tiebreaker and went to the playoffs. The Mets went home.

Manager Terry Francona in reality doesn’t think in these terms because a win over any team at any time could have the same consequences at the end of the season. Francona wants this game merely because it is the next on the schedule.

Abbott takes his 4-2 record and 3.97 ERA to face the Mets. The Mets try to avoid the streak with Huascar Brazobon, a reliever making his third start. He is 3-1 with a 1.73 ERA. He made 19 relief appearances and in his previous two starts he pitchers total of 2 1-3 innings.

The Mets are shy a starter and struggling to fill its rotation. The Mets used former starter Sean Manaea for three innings on Tuesday. He will be unavailable on Wednesday. AJ Minter pitched a scoreless innings in a feel-good story coming back from recovering from surgery that pulled a muscle completely off a bone. 

Unless the Mets make a roster move. they have just one  lefthander available, former Red, Brooks Ramey. They also have former Red Luke Weaver and an old nemesis from Milwaukee, Devin Williams.

Brazobon has made seven appearances against the Reds all in relief in his career. He has pitched 8 1/3 scoreless innings on five hits. 

Abbott has recovered from a poor spring training and start of the season.

In five starts since he gave up four runs in four innings against the Colorado Rockies on April 30, Abbott has two quality starts of six innings. He has allowed five runs, four earned in 28 innings, an ERA of 1.29.

In his last start against the Philadelphia Phillies, Abbott pitched 5 1/3 innings and gave up one run on three hits and three walks, while winning his third decision tin his last three starts.

Lifetime against the Mets, Abbott is 0-2 in four starts with a 5.12 ERA.

His last start against them was on September 5 last year. He gave up five runs on nine hits in 4 2/3 innings.

Lineups Reds

Blake Dunn RF

Elly De La Cruz SS

JJ Bleday LF

Sal Stewart 3B

Eugenio Suarez DH

Nathaniel Lowe 1B

Spencer Steer 2B

Tyler Stephenson C

TJ Friedl CF

Mets Lineup

Carson Benge RF

Bo Bichette SS

Juan Soto LF

Mark Vientos 1B

Marcus Semien 2B

AJ Ewing CF

Eric Wagaman DH

Brett Baty 3B

Luis Torrens C

The Franchise Supported By A 15 Hits Sets Reds Up To Sweep

     https://gofund.me/b67c71781

Dateline: Cincinnati

Chase Burns won his seventh game of the season with five plus strong innings as the Reds supported “The Franchise” with plenty of runs to take the series with a 7-2 win over the New York Mets.

The 29-25 Reds banged, blooped and bunted for 15 hits. Three belonged to JJ Bleday who faced all three of the Mets left handers.

 The Reds won three straight and five of the last six.

The Reds jumped on Mets starter, David Peterson early and it could have been worse for the home team.

Blake Dunn walked to open the game. As Peterson was striking out Elly De La Cruz was called safe at second on a steal. The Mets challenge got the call overturned. With two outs and no one on, Sal Stewart, singled up the middle. Eugenio Suarez doubled to the left center field gap driving in two. Dane Myers singled but Suarez was thrown out at home.

The Reds loaded the bases in the second inning. JJ Bleday singled. Peterson walked Tyler Stephenson. Matt McLain laid down a bunt that rolled down the third base line. It stopped dead in fair territory. Dunn, however grounded to Peterson who started a 1-2-3 double play.

The Mets got one hit off Burns in the first five innings. A double by number nine hitter Luis Torrens.

The Reds put the game out of slam range in the fourth inning.

Myers, Bleday and Stephenson single in succession to to score a run. McLain topped the ball to third baseman Brett Baty he went to apply a tag on Bleday, holding third. Third base umpire, Vic Carapazza signaled safe but another Mets’ challenge succeeded. Dunn grounded out but De La Cruz doubled two runs home. 

Bleday opened the sixths with a single. Stephenson picked up his second RBI of the game with a double and went to third when the shortstop Bichette threw the relay past the catcher.

Sean Manaea got three outs to strand Stephenson.

Burns cruised through five scoreless innings on one hit. He got the first out of the sixth but Bichette singled and Juan Soto hit his 11th home run of the season. AJ Ewing singled and Terry Francona brought Sam Moll in from the bullpen.

Burns finished with 5 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on four hits and two walks. He struck out eight. He left with an ERA of 1.96.

Moll pitched an inning and 2/3 with two strikeouts. 

The Reds squeaked three straight singles by Dunn, De La Cruz and Stewart to build the lead back to 7-2. 

Pierce Johnson entered in the bottom of the eighth. He gave up a single to Torrens but got Benge and Bichette to fly out. Brock Burke came in to pitch to Soto, who flew out to left.

Tony Santillan pitched an easy ninth to close it out in a non save finish.

Chase Burns On The Attack For A Change

   https://gofund.me/b67c71781

Dateline: Cincinnati

Chase Burns is on the attack for a change. On Tuesday (052626), he will not be trying to stop the team’s record from going below .500 or breaking an eight-game losing streak. 

Instead he takes his 6-1 record and 1.83 ERA to the mound to extend the Reds momentum.

 His mound opponent is the New York Mets, ace, left hander, David Peterson.

He is 3-4 with a 5.03 ERA.

Burns ERA is tied with the Milwaukee Brewers Jacob Misiorowski for 4th best in baseball.

He has five quality starts in a row or half of his 10 starts this season. Altogether, Burns has seven quality starts. He has given up a total of four runs in 31 innings, a 1.16 ERA. 

It will be Burns first appearance against the Mets.

Peterson is 30 years old. He was the 20th player chosen in the 2017 out of the University of Oregon. 

Peterson was clobbered by the Washington Nationals on April 29, charged with seven runs on five hits and three walks in 3 2/3 innings.

Since then he was much better over four starts. He allowed eight runs, five earned in 18 innings, a 2.50 ERA. His last start on May 21, also against the Nationals was five innings, allowing one run on four hits and three walks.

Peterson has allowed two home runs in his 48 1/3 innings. 

Lifetime against the Reds, he made five starts with a 1-1 record and 4.88 ERA. Two of those starts were last season the Mets won both games. Peterson was credited with a win in the second start on September 5, he pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing four runs on seven hits and a walk.

The Reds lineup:

Blake Dunn RF

Elly De La Cruz SS

Sal Stewart DH

Spencer Steer 1B

Eugenio Suarez 3B

Dane Myers CF

JJ Bleday LF

Tyler Stephenson C

Matt McLain 2B

The Mets lineup:

Carson Benge RF

Bo Bichette SS

Juan Soto DH

AJ Ewing CF

Jared Young 1B

Brett Baty 3B

Marcus Semien 2B

MJ Melendez LF

Luis Torrens C

Analysis Of Managers Decisions

  https://gofund.me/b67c71781

Dateline: Cincinnati

Breaking down a game winning event in a situation where both managers use strategy to squeeze a victory out of a close game between the St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds.

The bottom of the 11th inning of the second game of a rain induced doubleheader 

 The game is tied with Spencer Steer starting in second base as the man who made the last out in the 10th.

The Cardinals pitcher, Riley O’Brien is tough on right handed hitters acceding to Reds’ manager Terry Francona. He also gets ground balls 1.50 times more than fly balls and for his career 57% of those ground balls against right handed are hit up the middle rather than the opposite field or pull side.

 This is the data set a available to St. Louis manager Oliver Mormol.

With the winning run on third base and one out. Mormol decided to pitch around Dane Myers. The on deck hitter Blake Dunn has less experience and is a rookie trying to impress, putting more pressure in himself.

Mormol brought left fielder Brayan Torres, who was in his second game of a major league career after 11 years in minor league baseball. He had played 213 games as an infielder. He was placed in the hole at shortstop with Masyn Winn moved up the middle. Mormol had no one in left field, the other two fielders were shallow and up the middle.

Why?

“I leave left field open hoping they try to hit it that way. Usually when they try to pull it they end up on top of the ball which leads to my three infielders on that side of the infield,” Mormol said. “If I split them they see they want to stay up the middle which leads to a better swing.”

Mormol was trying to bait Dunn into trying to hit to a gap rather than staying up the middle where Dunn’s strength is.

“You make them want to do that. That’s very difficult to do against Riley. Think of the approach you would take to go to right field against Riley. That is the approach which would give you the most success. I would almost do that with anybody except our lefties. Your just trying to bank on a poor approach (from the hitter). You have to bank on what’s most likely, a pull side ground ball or a slice to right field.”

Dunn did not take the bait.

“He (O’Brien) ran that sinker in. I kind of got fisted but was able to keep it away from that guy up the middle,” Dunn said.

The hit traveled past the pitcher’s mound in the air, costing Steer a split second to make sure it wasn’t caught in the air. The fact that it was low enough and caused Winn to take two steps to his left, forcing him to throw against his momentum that allowed Steer to just beat the throw and avoid the catcher’s tag.

“It was an awkward read with that kind of short floater. Steer was able to make a good slide at home and just beat it.”

Dunn didn’t change his approach.

“I’m trying to work through the middle of the field. With the five infielders, I would say ideally you want to hit the ball in the air. For me, I’m just trying to keep it simple. To keep it the same. If I work in the big part of the field, the middle of the field good things will usually happen. I stayed to the middle of the field and come through with an RBI there,” Dunn said.

Francona explained the heroics of Steer and Dunn.

“Steer did a good job there,” Francona said. “He was ready for a bunt. He was already thinking go.”

“That guy (O’Brien) has really been tough on righties. Dunn did enough. What he’s doing so well, he is just playing the game. He’s not trying to do too much. He’s just playing the game,” Francona explained.

Nick Lodolo Adds Five O’s To Spell Reds Win

 https://gofund.me/b67c71781

Dateline: Cincinnati

Nick Lodolo put up O’s in his first five innings of the Reds’ 7-2 win over the New York Mets.

Marcus Simien broke his shutout in the sixth inning but Lodolo took a big step getting back to form with a season-high six innings. He allowed just the one run on six hits. He struck out seven without a walk.

drive.

 As Lodolo was stifling the hosts, Reds’ hitters were poor house guests according to Mets starter Nolan McLean.

Spencer Steer drove in three runs. Tyler Stephenson and JJ Bleday homered to pace the Reds’ offense.

The Reds started with two runs in the second inning. Sal Stewart was hit by a pitch. Eugenio Suarez singled and Nathaniel Lowe walked. Steer beat a double play relay to drive in the first run. Suarez scored on a wild pitch. 

JJ Bleday hit his seventh home run of the season in the third inning.

They broke it open with four runs in the fourth inning . Suarez walked and Lowe doubled. Steer’s singie up the middle against a drawn in infield. Tyler Stephenson hit his fourth home run with Steer scoring ahead of him.

Simien led off the sixth with his fourth home run but Lodolo finished the inning. 

Brock Burke was charged with a run on a double and two ground outs. Tejay Antone finished the seventh.

Sam Moll struck out the Mets side in the eighth. Graham Ashcraft finished off the Mets with two strikeouts.

The Mets out hit the Reds nine to six but Reds pitchers did not walk a batter. Reds pitchers have walked 244 batters on the season, the third most in the MLB.

Cincinnati has quietly won four of its last five games to improve to 28-25 with the game Tuesday the 1/3 point in the season.

Nick Lodolo Gets Mets On Memorial Day

 https://gofund.me/b67c71781

Dateline: Cincinnati

Nick Lodolo will take on the New York Mets at Citi Field in the quaint little village called New York City.

It is his fourth start after returning from a blister on his left index finger with an 0-1 record and 7.20 ERA.

“He isn’t the pitcher he’s going to be,” manager Terrry Francona said. “But he will get there.”

 He is 1-0 with a 1.54 ERA in two career starts against the Mets. His last start against them was on July 18 last season. Lodolo was the winning pitcher, allowing two runs in seven innings on four hits.

His mound opponent Nolan McLean is 24 years old and the third round pick of the Mets in the 2023 draft out of Oklahoma State University. 

McLean is 2-3 in 10 starts with a 3.57 ERA. He is coming off a rough start against the Washington Nationals in which he allowed nine runs, six earned on eight hits, including two home runs.

McLean is facing the Reds for the first time.

The Reds lineup:

Blake Dunn CF

Elly De La Cruz SS

JJ Bleday LF

Sal Stewart 3B

Eugenio Suarez DH

Nathaniel Lowe 1B

Spencer Steer RF

Tyler Stephenson C

Matt McLain 2B

The Mets send this lineup against Lodolo:

Carson Benge DH

Bo Bichette SS

Mark Vientos 1B

Marcus Semian 2B

A.J. Ewing CF

Tyrone Taylor RF

Nick Morabito LF

Brett Baty 3B

Luis Torrens C