Photo: Redleg Nation Staff
The Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates are both looking for a win tonight to move them up in the standings. The Reds have a chance to catch the St. Louis Cardinals if they win, while the Pirates could be tied for first place by the end of the day if they win. Pittsburgh can seal a series win with a victory tonight, while Cincinnati is looking for a win to keep a series split on the table for Sunday’s finale. First pitch tonight is set for 6:35pm ET. The game will not start on time due to incoming rain.
Starting Lineups
Starting Pitchers
Luis Cessa
After a solid first start against the Cubs on April 4th, things have taken a quick and painful turn for Luis Cessa. He allowed five runs in 3.2 innings on the 11th and then allowed 11 runs in 3.0 innings his last time out against Philadelphia.
Given that he’s allowed 18 runs in 12.0 innings this season, the splits look like you would expect – not good. Righties have hit .382 and struck out just twice in 40 plate appearances. They haven’t hit for much power, though. Left-handed hitters have basically hit like Barry Bonds on a heater in 2004. Cessa has struck out one lefty in 30 plate appearances this season and they’re slugging .962 against him. For his career, Cessa’s pitched slightly better against lefties than righties.
Splits
| Split | PA | H | 2B | 3B | HR | BB | K | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| RHH | 40 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | .382 | .450 | .471 |
| LHH | 30 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 1 | .462 | .533 | .962 |
Pitch Usage
| 4-Seam | 2-Seam | Change | Slider | |
| Velo | 92.3 | 92.5 | 86.7 | 81.9 |
| Usage | 19% | 18% | 24% | 38% |
Rich Hill
The 43-year-old left-handed has given up the most home runs in baseball this season. He’s allowed one home run every three innings this year (that’s 7 in 21.0 innings). Last year he only allowed 15 of them in 124.1 innings. The Reds hit two of them in 5.0 innings against him in his first start this season. After struggling in his first two starts, he’s pitched better in the two most recent ones – allowing just three runs in 12.0 innings against Houston and Colorado.
Left-handed hitters haven’t been given many opportunities this season against Hill, but when they have they’ve struggled. They are 2-13 with no walks or extra-base hits. Right-handed hitters, though, have found plenty of success. They’ve hit for a lot of power, a solid average, and gotten on base at a good rate.
Splits
| Split | PA | H | 2B | 3B | HR | BB | K | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| RHH | 76 | 20 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 13 | .286 | .342 | .671 |
| LHH | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .154 | .154 | .154 |
Pitch Usage
| 4-Seam | 2-Seam | Cutter | Curve | Slider | Change | |
| Velo | 87.4 | 84.7 | 82.7 | 71.4 | 69.1 | 80.8 |
| Usage | 31% | 4% | 14% | 35% | 15% | 1% |
When and Where
- Game time: 6:35pm ET
- Where: PNC Park
- Watch: Bally Sports Ohio, MLB.tv
- Listen: 700 WLW AM (Cincinnati area)
- Forecast: 60°, cloudy, 55% chance of rain
News and Notes
Is Jose Barrero figuring things out?
Jose Barrero started the season in a slump, but over the last two weeks he’s been hitting better, drawing walks, and cutting down on his strikeouts. Earlier today we looked at his season to see if maybe he’s figured something out or if he’s just been riding a little bit of a hot streak.
More Road Woes
With last night’s loss the Reds have now gone 1-7 on the road this season.
Standings
| Team | W | L | GB | Playoff Odds |
| Brewers | 14 | 6 | 0.0 | 69.4% |
| Pirates | 14 | 7 | 0.5 | 15.7% |
| Cubs | 12 | 7 | 1.5 | 32.7% |
| Cardinals | 8 | 12 | 6.0 | 48.7% |
| Reds | 7 | 13 | 7.0 | 0.5% |
| Playoff Odds via Fangraphs | ||||
