Aristides Aquino and the Reds seek their 1st victory vs. the NL West as the Giants visit Cincinnati

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It's not what the Cincinnati Reds (14-30) had hoped for entering the series, but after dropping the first two games at Great American Ball Park, they was able to salvage a split with a below-average Chicago Cubs squad. Hopefully, the Redlegs saved some of the offense from the series finale for this weekend's showdown with the San Francisco Giants.

Cincinnati's offense exploded for 20 runs on as many hits yesterday, as they obliterated the Cubbies by a 20-5 margin. Four Reds collected at least three hits, including shortstop Kyle Farmer who had the first multi-homer game of his career, as he went a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate with two round-trippers and five ribbies.

Even though it's almost impossible to believe, the Reds are still seeking their first victory against a National League West opponent this season despite having 13 opportunities. If you're a glass-half-full person, Cincinnati is 14-17 versus the rest of the league.

The Reds are looking for their 1st victory over an NL West opponent.

The San Francisco Giants (24-19) visit the Queen City winners of their last two contests, although their recent play has been less than imposing after dropping six of their last 10 games. However, the Giants have compiled an impressive 11-8 record away from the Bay Area to open the 2022 campaign.

Much of the success the Giants have enjoyed this season comes courtesy of a powerful offense. San Francisco is second in the senior circuit in runs scored (233) and RBIs (212). Additionally, they rank fourth with 52 round-trippers.

Outfielder Joc Pederson is making a positive first impression in his debut season in a Giants uniform. The left-handed-hitting slugger is slashing .260/.331/.606 with 11 homers and 24 knocked in. In addition, fellow outfielder Mike Yastrzemski has been an on-base machine posting an impressive .409 OBP mark.

Surprisingly, prosperity has been harder to come by on the pitching mound for the Giants. Their 4.43 team ERA places 11th in the NL and the 398 hits surrendered are the third-most in the league. Needless to say, San Francisco's 1.352 WHIP is well above the 1.289 league average.

Despite dropping six of seven to the Giants last year, Cincinnati has owned San Francisco over the last decade, losing the season series only twice over that span.

Previewing the pitching matchups: Reds vs. Giants

Unfortunately, due to a rash of injuries, there's not much to preview as far as the Reds are concerned. Manager David Bell has announced only one of his starters, Tyler Mahle, in the finale, for the series, as of late Thursday evening.

San Francisco's Carlos Rodon (4-3 3.43 ERA) toes the rubber in the opener. The former Chicago White Sox has settled in nicely into the Giants rotation in his debut season in the Bay.

Despite a disastrous start earlier this month against the St. Louis Cardinals, Rodon has not allowed more than two earned runs in six of his last seven outings. Additionally, he's fanned an amazing 62 hitters in just 44.2 innings and has been taken deep just twice. Needless to say, the Reds will have their hands full this evening.

Former Redleg Alex Wood (3-3 4.82) gets the nod for manager Gabe Kapler's squad Saturday afternoon. Much like fellow southpaw teammate Carlos Rodon, Wood rarely surrenders a gopher ball.

Tossing 37.1 frames this year, Wood has allowed only four home runs and has not had a pitch leave the yard since a May 4th start versus the Dodgers. However, the base paths have been busy with the former Georgia Bulldog alum on the mound.

Wood has been rocked for 46 hits while compiling a ghastly 1.554 WHIP. Look for David Bell to fill his lineup card with right-handed bats. Righties have been laying the wood to the North Carolina native by producing an astounding .342/.400/.483 slash line.

Set your alarm clocks Saturday night Reds Country because Cincinnati will play Sunday morning at 11:35 AM ET. However, don't expect Giants fans to offer much sympathy, as the first pitch arrives at 8:35 AM for those on the left coast.

Tyler Mahle (2-6 6.32 ERA) looks to rebound following a horrendous start versus the Cubs as he opposes Alex Cobb (3-2 6.25 ERA) for the Giants. How bad has Mahle been at home this season? Capital B-A-D, bad.

The Cincinnati Reds right-hander is 0-3 with a 7.54 ERA in five starts at GABP. However, as Reds Country painfully knows, this is not uncharted territory. Lifetime Mahle is a frightening 11-16 with a 5.32 ERA in 48 games in the Queen City.

As poorly as Tyler Mahle has pitched this season, Alex Cobb has been equally as terrible. How terrible? How about this stat line in his last two starts.

Hurling 11.1 frames, Cobb has allowed a whopping 20 hits and been tagged for 13 runs. However, like his rotation mates, he's not going to get beat by the gopher ball. The right-hander has allowed only three homers in 31.2 innings of work.

Reds fans, is Aristides Aquino going to do this to us again? As Michael Corleone said in The Godfather Part 3, "Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in." I'm sure most of the Cincinnati faithful feel a similar way when they watch Aquino launch towering blasts all over GABP in the span of a few at-bats.

We haven't even reached June, and it's already been a roller coaster ride of a season for Aquino. When he was designated for assignment on April 30th, The Punisher was hitting an embarrassing .049 with 23 punch outs in 43 at-bats. However, since clearing waivers, Aquino has tapped into some August 2019 magic.

During a stint in Triple-A Louisville to open the month of May, the right-handed-hitting slugger crushed minor league pitching as he slashed .314/.405/.743 with four homers and 10 RBIs in just 35 at-bats. As a result, Aquino found himself back in Cincinnati on May 20th.

Since returning to the big league club, The Punisher has been just that. Going 5-for-14 with two majestic round-trippers, Aquino has, once again, teased Reds Country with his undeniable power. Granted, it's a very small sample size, but you can't help but wonder "what if..."

Prediction

Following a horrifying April, the Reds have played pretty much as we expected in May going 11-12. However, can the Reds finally break the hex the NL West has over them?

The answer is yes. Not only will the Reds win one game this weekend, but they'll take the series as they win two of three from the Giants and enjoy the silence of a rare holiday off on Memorial Day.

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