Donovan Solano and the Reds limp out west to battle the Giants after dropping 6 straight games at home
Reds Country, I have some good news and some bad news. First, the good news. The Cincinnati Reds (23-46) will not face the Los Angeles Dodgers again this season. Now, the bad news. For the first time since 1991, the Reds went winless during a homestand of at least six games as they were swept by the Milwaukee Brewers and the aforementioned Dodgers in three-game sets.
The numbers are beyond ugly. Losers of seven consecutive games and the owners of the worst record in the National League, the Reds are spiraling. Sporting a horrific 6-15 June record, the Redlegs sit 15.5 games back in the NL Central Division.
What went wrong during the recent homestand? Quite simply, Cincinnati's pitching staff gave the club no chance of capturing a victory. Surrendering 44 runs in six games is nowhere near the neighborhood of respectability. Entering play yesterday, the beleaguered bullpen had posted a 6.50 ERA this month, and that was before they yielded four runs in as many innings yesterday.
The Reds limp into San Francisco to face the Giants.
Returning home following a 3-4 road trip, the San Francisco Giants (38-31) are looking to make up some ground in the NL West. Trailing the division-leading Los Angeles Dodgers by 5.5 games, the Giants will play their next five games at Oracle Park against the Reds and the lowly Detroit Tigers.
Despite being seven games over .500, San Fran is fairly pedestrian at the plate and on the mound. Their slash line of .239/.322/.401 nearly equals the .243/.316/.397 league average. The offense is led by outfielder Joc Pedersen who has been slapping the ball all over the field. Leading the club with 16 homers and 38 RBIs, the left-handed-hitting slugger has impressed in his first season in the Bay Area.
Reds' hitters will need to be ready to swing the bats because the Giants' pitching staff does not beat themselves. The 181 free passes they've issued are the second-fewest in the senior circuit. However, the 592 hits San Francisco has allowed are the fifth-most in the league.
Cincinnati took two of three from the Giants earlier this season at Great American Ball Park. Additionally, Oracle Park has been a gracious host to the Reds in recent years. Over the last decade, the Reds are 17-14 in San Francisco and own a 35-29 advantage overall in that timespan.
Previewing the pitching matchups: Reds vs. Giants
Reds starting pitcher Graham Ashcraft vs. Giants starting pitcher Alex Cobb
Graham Ashcraft (3-1 3.51 ERA) gets the call in the opener facing Alex Cobb (3-2 5.62 ERA) of the Giants. Following three starts in which he allowed just one run in 19.1 innings, Ashcraft has been humbled in his last two appearances.
Tossing 9.2 frames, the Cincinnati rookie right-hander has been rocked for 10 runs and 17 hits. Hopefully, we'll see the same Graham Ashcraft who bewildered San Francisco last month at GABP when the 24-year-old picked up his first career victory by hurling 6.1 innings of shutout baseball.
The 2022 campaign has been a brutal one for Alex Cobb. Following his May 29th start in Cincinnati, he went on the IL with a neck injury. In 41.2 frames this season, he's been roughed up for 48 hits and has allowed at least 10 hits in two of his nine starts.
Reds starting pitcher Mike Minor vs. Giants starting pitcher Logan Webb
Left-hander Mike Minor (1-3 6.97 ERA) takes the mound Saturday afternoon while Logan Webb (6-2 3.26 ERA) toes the rubber for Gabe Kapler's club. Don't be surprised to see Giants' first baseman Darin Ruf welcome Minor to the Bay Area with open arms.
Ruf is 4-for-11 lifetime versus the Reds southpaw with a homer and five ribbies. Additionally, the right-handed-hitting slugger has drawn four walks against Minor and owns a .500 on-base percentage in 16 plate appearances.
Right-hander Logan Webb has been sensational over his last three outings. Tossing 19.2 innings, the 25-year-old has yielded just three earned runs while compiling 19 K's. In his only lifetime start versus the Reds, Webb tossed six innings of shutout baseball in May of 2021 at GABP.
Reds starting pitcher Tyler Mahle vs. Giants starting pitcher Anthony DeSclafani
Sunday's matinee series finale will feature Tyler Mahle (2-6 4.57 ERA) opposing former teammate Anthony DeSclafani (0-1 7.71 ERA) of the Giants. The Cincinnati right-hander is looking to bounce back after a tough start against the Dodgers.
Obviously, there's no shame in being knocked around by LA, but Mahle fooled absolutely nobody in a Dodgers uniform. Battered for a career-high 12 hits, the California native allowed four hits and a homer in the Reds' 8-2 loss.
DeSclafani's disco days have been limited this year. He'll be making just his second start since April 21st after spending time on the 60-day IL with right ankle inflammation. The 32-year-old right-hander dominated his former teammates last year in the Queen City tossing seven innings of one-run baseball.
It will be a homecoming this weekend for Cincinnati Reds infielder Donovan Solano. The 34-year-old Colombian slashed a blistering .308/.354/.435 in three years in San Francisco before signing as a free agent with Cincinnati this winter.
Granted, it was a long wait for Reds Country, but Solano is immediately paying dividends after spending two months on the IL with a hamstring injury. In his first eight at-bats wearing the wishbone "C", the right-handed-hitting nine-year veteran is 4-for-8 with two RBIs and three doubles.
Hitting comes naturally for Donovan Solano. The 2020 Silver Slugger Award winner posted a 113 OPS+ as a member of the Giants. During his time in the Bay Area, he never hit below .280 and finished fifth in the NL in 2020 with a .325 average.
Reds manager David Bell has a good problem on his hands. With Solano and Jonathan India returning from injury, and the incredible season, Brandon Drury is producing, the Reds skipper will need to be creative in getting at-bats for the trio. However, it's clearly evident, that Solano needs to be in the lineup as much as possible.
Prediction: Reds vs. SF Giants
Reds Country, I have more good news and, unfortunately, more bad news. The Reds will snap their losing streak this weekend in San Francisco. Nevertheless, it won't be enough to secure a series victory as the Giants take two of three from the Redlegs.
Following the weekend at Oracle Park, the Cincinnati Reds will visit Wrigley Field to battle the Cubbies before returning for an extended 11-game homestand featuring three of the best teams in baseball in the Atlanta Braves, the New York Mets, and Tampa Bay Rays.