The National League Central-leading Cincinnati Reds have found ways to win despite some dreadful offensive numbers, but their hitters might be finding some form on the current road trip.
Winners of four straight to start a six-game trek, the Reds will look for a second consecutive victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Cincinnati led 2-1 after one inning on Monday and never looked back, cruising to a 6-1 victory.
Entering the matchup batting a paltry .178 average with runners in scoring position, the Reds went 4-for-13 on Monday while the Rays finished 0-for-7 in those situations.
As a result, Cincinnati logged a ninth win in 11 road outings.
While the series opener ended up one-sided, the Reds also own impressive records in tight contests: 6-0 in one-run games and 10-0 in games decided by two runs or fewer.
Cincinnati has swept two road series this year, against the Texas Rangers and Minnesota Twins. Last season, the Reds swept just one.
“We’re not always going to hit, but when we’re (right), we can do a lot of things,” Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz said, according to MLB.com. “… Winning always feels good. We’ve just got to keep doing the little things, keep grinding.”
The Reds’ Tuesday starter will be Chase Burns (1-1, 2.42 ERA). The 23-year-old right-hander, a former Wake Forest hurler like Cincinnati’s Monday starter, Rhett Lowder, will face the Rays for the first time.
Burns is coming off his second scoreless start of the season, when he tossed six innings in a no-decision against the San Francisco Giants on Thursday.
The Rays put the first four batters on base against a shaky Lowder on Monday, but they ended the frame only getting a bases-loaded walk by Yandy Diaz, wasting a chance to put up a crooked number.
“We had some good at-bats right away, and then their pitcher got tough,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “Our focus right there is just try to move the ball, put some pressure on the defense. We didn’t. He made some big pitches.”
Tampa Bay will send out surprising Steven Matz (3-0, 3.80 ERA) in the series’ middle game.
Having last pitched as a full-time starter in 2021 with the Toronto Blue Jays, the 34-year-old left-hander has found a resurgence taking the mound every fifth day with Tampa Bay.
Matz has been remarkably consistent in four starts, allowing nine runs on 16 hits in 21 1/3 innings to go with 21 strikeouts and six walks. The opposition is batting .208 against him.
The Long Island, N.Y., native is 4-1 with a 4.46 ERA in eight games (six starts) against Cincinnati, which has a .305 batting average against him.
The Rays are being careful with right-handed starter Joe Boyle, who has been out since April 10 due to a right elbow strain. He likely won’t return to action this month.
“Joe has been on a good run. I think he’s gaining confidence with every outing,” Cash said. “He’s a big, big part of our season, so (we) want to make sure we do right by him and try to freshen him up.”
–Field Level Media
