The Padres and Reds are back at Great American Ball Park on Wednesday night with San Diego already holding the edge after a 5-0 win in the series opener. First pitch is set for 6:40 p.m. ET, and Cincinnati will try to answer after getting blanked to start the three-game set.
The matchup brings together Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, Jackson Merrill and the rest of the Padres against a Reds lineup that lists Hector Rodriguez, Elly De La Cruz, Sal Stewart, Matt McLain and TJ Friedl. Cincinnati is also missing one of its sluggers for the next two games; as reported on the Reds.tv broadcast last night, he will be away for tonight and tomorrow while taking his two days off for his US naturalization test.
On the mound, the Reds will turn to Nick Lodolo, while Randy Vasquez gets the ball for San Diego.
Lodolo has had a rough run since coming back from the injured list after another blister issue and an attempt to change the grip on his breaking ball. In his four starts since then, he has allowed 14 runs on 24 hits and six walks over 16.1 innings. His lone home start in that stretch was a bright spot, though, as he tossed 5.0 shutout innings against Miami on August 16.
The numbers against Lodolo show clear splits. Left-handed hitters have done the most damage, batting .347 with a .432 on-base percentage and .520 slugging percentage.
Right-handers have hit .273 with a .353 OBP and .489 slugging. Lodolo has leaned on a four-pitch mix featuring the four-seam fastball, two-seamer, slider and changeup, with each sitting around a quarter of his usage.
Vasquez has taken a different path this season. His first 15 games all came as a starter, but since June 27 he has bounced between the rotation and bullpen. Even so, four of his last five outings have been starts, and they’ve gone well: just four runs allowed in 23.0 innings with three walks.
He’s also shown pronounced splits. Right-handed hitters are batting .217 against him with a .269 OBP and .359 slugging percentage.
Left-handers have had more success, hitting .298 with a .351 OBP and .485 slugging. Vasquez’s pitch mix is built around a four-seamer and cutter, with a two-seamer, curveball, slider and changeup filling out the rest.
The Reds also made a couple of September additions, bringing up Brandon Williamson after a season interrupted by injury and a difficult rehab stretch, along with Juan Brito, who has struggled to hit much at Triple-A this year.
In the division picture, Milwaukee leads at 85-53, Chicago sits second at 78-60, and Cincinnati is 65-73 and listed at 0.0% playoff odds via Fangraphs.
In Other News...
Eugenio Suarez Will Miss Reds Games For A Moment Bigger Than Baseball
Eugenio Surez will be away from the Reds for a couple of days this week, but for a reason that reaches well beyond the box score. The veteran infielder is set to miss Cincinnatis games against the Padres on Tuesday and Wednesday while he takes his naturalization test as he continues his pursuit of U.S. citizenship, a milestone that carries extra meaning for a player who has spent multiple seasons building a strong bond with the city.
Surezs absence comes as Cincinnati keeps leaning on its power bats and the emergence of rookie Sal Stewart, who has already put together a noteworthy season at the plate. Even so, this is the kind of moment that reminds everyone around the club that baseball is only part of the story, and for Surez, the next step is one he has been working toward for a long time. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Just Added Two Question Marks At The Worst Time
The Reds brought Brandon Williamson back from the 6-day injured list and added Juan Brito from Triple-A Louisville as they try to patch together a roster at a time when every inning and every at-bat feels magnified. Williamson had already made six starts before landing on the shelf with a shoulder injury, and Cincinnati is clearly hoping his return gives the rotation a needed lift as the schedule keeps moving.
Britos arrival adds another layer, though his role looks likely to be modest after coming over from the Guardians at the trade deadline. The infielder is expected to see limited playing time, which leaves the Reds with two newcomers who are still trying to find their footing while the club keeps sorting out its depth and health issues. [Read more 🡒]
Eugenio Surezs Absence Forced A Reds Infield Change
Eugenio Surez is away from the Reds for the final two games of the series against the Padres, leaving Cincinnati to juggle its infield a little differently while he steps away to take his U.S. citizenship naturalization test. It is the kind of brief but unavoidable absence that forces a roster to absorb the change quickly, and the club answered by bringing up infielder Juan Brito from Triple-A Louisville to add depth.
Terry Francona and Brito both addressed the move, underscoring that the Reds are treating it as a practical roster adjustment rather than anything more disruptive. Still, whenever a regular is pulled out of the lineup for even a short stretch, it creates a small test of flexibility, and Cincinnati will spend the next couple of games sorting out how best to cover the infield until Surez returns. [Read more 🡒]