Photo: Redleg Nation Staff
There’s a lot of rain in Washington this afternoon, but it’s supposed to clear out by scheduled game time. We’ll have to see if the game will start on time because of the wet grounds, but with no rain expected past 6pm the game should be played. Cincinnati will be looking to guarantee a series win tonight with a victory after taking the first two games of the series. First pitch is set for 7:05pm ET.
Starting Lineups
Starting Pitchers
Graham Ashcraft
It’s been quite a struggle for Graham Ashcraft since May 7th. In nine starts since then he’s posted an ERA of 10.89. His last outing, though, was arguably his best of the season as he allowed a run on three hits in 6.2 innings against the Padres.
The splits for Ashcraft against lefties and righties are pretty similar at this point. That, however, doesn’t tell the story. Lefties have absolutely crushed him since the start of May after he had been dominant against them in 2022 and in April of 2023. Righties have been pretty good against him for the entirety of his big league career.
Splits
| Split | PA | H | 2B | 3B | HR | BB | K | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| RHH | 190 | 48 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 19 | 29 | .293 | .376 | .488 |
| LHH | 156 | 40 | 8 | 1 | 6 | 13 | 30 | .284 | .348 | .482 |
Pitch Usage
| 2-seam | Cutter | Slider | |
| Velo | 96.8 | 96.5 | 88.4 |
| Usage | 9% | 52% | 38% |
Josiah Gray
An All-Star, Josiah Gray will be looking to pick up a win against the team that drafted him back in 2018. It will be the second time he’s faced Cincinnati and he’ll hope to repeat that previous performance (6IP, 1ER, 2H, 3BB, 9K, and got the win). In his last two outings he’s given up just one run and struck out 14 batters in 11.1 innings pitched.
The splits in 2023 for Gray are of the reverse kind. Right-handed hitters are having a lot more success than left-handed hitters are. They don’t walk nearly as often, but they make more contact and hit for a much better average and a ton more power than lefties are.
| Split | PA | H | 2B | 3B | HR | BB | K | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| RHH | 216 | 53 | 11 | 0 | 9 | 15 | 41 | .269 | .329 | .462 |
| LHH | 193 | 36 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 28 | 45 | .220 | .332 | .317 |
Pitch Usage
| 4-seam | 2-seam | Cutter | Curve | Slider | |
| Velo | 93.9 | 93.6 | 89.7 | 82.7 | 86.3 |
| Usage | 21% | 13% | 5% | 16% | 44% |
When and Where
- Game time: 7:05pm ET
- Where: Nationals Park
- Watch: Bally Sports Ohio, MLB.tv (Free Game of the Day)
- Listen: 700 WLW AM (Cincinnati area)
- Forecast: 83°, cloudy, 5% chance of rain
News and Notes
Spencer Steer and Elly De La Cruz make history
Yesterday, @Reds Elly De La Cruz and Spencer Steer became the first pair of rookie teammates in MLB history to both go 4-for-4 or better and drive in a run in the same game. pic.twitter.com/ICf8WYWMRe
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) July 5, 2023
Standings
| Team | W | L | GB | Playoff Odds |
| Reds | 47 | 39 | 0.0 | 33.0% |
| Brewers | 46 | 40 | 1.0 | 57.1% |
| Pirates | 40 | 45 | 6.5 | 3.8% |
| Cubs | 39 | 45 | 7.0 | 10.4% |
| Cardinals | 35 | 50 | 11.5 | 6.3% |
| Playoff Odds via Fangraphs | ||||
