Reds vs. Pirates: Pitching preview, prediction, and more

The Reds wrap up the 2021 campaign in the Steel City battling the Pirates.

Thankfully, it’s October. For the first time since April, the Cincinnati Reds (82-77) endured a losing month at the most inopportune of times. After a scorching June through August that saw the Redlegs go 47-34, the club stumbled to an 11-15 mark in September, extinguishing any chances of grabbing the second Wild Card position in the National League.

Despite the disappointment of not qualifying for the postseason, there’s one last assignment on the docket and some individual goals to capture. Nick Castellanos (97) and Joey Votto (96) are attempting to become the first set of Reds teammates to cross the 100 RBI threshold since Jay Bruce and Brandon Phillips accomplished the feat during the 2013 season.

For Castellanos, the 2021 campaign has been filled with milestones. The 29-year-old Floridian has set career highs in homers, OBP, and slugging. A first-time All-Star, his career-high .310 batting average currently ranks third in the senior circuit.

Even though all signs point to Castellanos opting out of his contract in the offseason, the right-handed hitting slugger will be remembered as one of the best free-agent signings in franchise history.

Rookie of the Year favorite Jonathan India also has a chance to accomplish something that hasn’t been done by a Reds rookie since Pete Rose in 1963. If India can dent the plate four times this weekend, he’ll be the first Cincinnati rookie in nearly 60 years to cross the century mark in runs scored.

Believe it or not, the Pirates (59-100) have something to play for this weekend as well. The Bucs are trying to avoid being remembered as one of the worst Pirate teams ever. If Pittsburgh is swept this weekend, it will saddle the team with the fifth most defeats in a season in franchise history.

Reds fans should keep a close eye on the Bucs’ superstar in the making.

Pittsburgh fans have had very little worth celebrating this season, but centerfielder Bryan Reynolds has been absolutely brilliant. The 26-year-old is the centerpiece of the Pirates’ rebuilding effort over the next few seasons.

Acquired from the San Francisco Giants in the January 2018 deal that sent former MVP Andrew McCutchen to the Bay Area, Reynolds is posting the kind of numbers Cutch was producing during his prime in the Steel City.

Entering play yesterday, Reynolds is slashing a remarkable .298/387/.516 with an incredible 144 OPS+ mark. The numbers don’t lie. The Vanderbilt alum is one of the best hitters in the NL.

Reynolds resides within the top 10 in the senior circuit in bWAR, batting average, OBP, OPS, hits, total bases, and doubles. Add 24 homers and 89 RBIs, and you have one of the most exciting players in the game.

A first-time All-Star this season, Reynolds is contractually under club control through the 2025 season. Even though spending money on the major league roster is not a huge priority for the Pirates at this time, locking him up sooner rather than later should be a no-brainer for the Pittsburgh front office.

Needless to say, it’s been an excruciating few years for Bucs’ fans, but obtaining Reynolds was an instance the Pittsburgh front office hit a home run. Time will tell, but the trade of Bryan Reynolds may be remembered as one of the best in Pittsburgh franchise history.

Previewing the pitching matchups: Reds vs. Pirates

Tonight’s opener finds Luis Castillo (8-16 4.05 ERA) making his final start of the season opposing Wil Crowe (4-8 5.77 ERA) of the Pirates. It hasn’t been the year that La Piedra or Reds Country envisioned for the right-hander, but he’s closing on a solid note.

Castillo has compiled a 2.62 ERA over his last seven starts while fanning 49 in 44.2 innings. If La Piedra can toss a complete game this evening, he will eclipse his career-high of 190.2 innings in a season. Not too shabby for a guy who was sporting an ERA north of six in the middle of June.

It’s been tough sledding of late for the Bucs’ Wil Crowe. Over his last seven appearances, Crowe’s been rocked for 40 hits and issued 15 free passes in just 30.1 frames. As a result, the 7.12 ERA over that span should come as no surprise. Unfortunately, the right-hander didn’t fare much better, allowing eight hits and walking two in four innings in a loss to the Reds in August.

Tyler Mahle (13-6 3.54 ERA) toes the rubber Saturday night, battling Pittsburgh’s Max Kranick (2-3 6.23 ERA).  To state the obvious, 2021 has been a breakout year for the Cincinnati right-hander.

Establishing career-best marks in nearly every category, Mahle is finishing the season pitching perhaps his best baseball of the season. The 26-year-old California native has held the opposition to three runs or less in six of his last seven outings and has only surrendered four gopher balls in his previous 40 innings.

Right-hander Max Kranick is coming off an excellent start versus the Philadelphia Phillies. Tossing five innings of shutout baseball, the 23-year-old rookie earned his victory since June 27th. This will be his first career start against Cincinnati.

Sunday’s season finale will feature Reiver Sanmartin (1-0 1.59 ERA) making his second start for the Redlegs. Pittsburgh manager Derek Shelton has yet to name a starter for the Sunday matinee contest.

It’s tough to be much better than Sanmartin in his major league debut. The left-hander surrendered just one run in 5.2 frames versus the Pirates on Monday afternoon at Great American Ball Park. Another strong showing Sunday would be a huge confidence boost for the 25-year-old southpaw heading into the 2022 campaign.