Field Level Media
18 May 2022, 15:55 GMT+10
Things didn't go as planned for the Cincinnati Reds over the first month of the season.
However, the Reds might be turning around their fortunes, as they have won seven of their last 11 games. Unfortunately, their dreadful 3-22 start figures to leave them in the hole for most of the season.
Cincinnati will attempt to complete a sweep of the host Cleveland Guardians when the teams finish a two-game interleague series on Wednesday evening.
The Reds will hand the ball to right-hander Tyler Mahle (2-4, 5.89 ERA), hoping he can continue their run of solid starting pitching. Right-hander Cal Quantrill (1-2, 3.93) will start for the Guardians.
The past two games, Cincinnati got strong outings from rookies Hunter Greene and Connor Overton.
The flame-throwing Greene threw 7 1/3 innings of no-hit baseball on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Pirates, yet Cincinnati lost 1-0.
It was a different story on Tuesday, as the Reds nipped the Guardians 5-4 in 10 innings. Overton, 28, was outstanding for his second consecutive outing. Last Thursday, he earned his first major-league victory in a 4-0 win over Pittsburgh, tossing 6 1/3 scoreless innings.
On Tuesday, he pitched 7 2/3 innings and allowed three hits, two runs and one walk while striking out two. He retired 15 batters in a row at one point.
It was the longest start of the season by a Cincinnati pitcher.
"He attacked the strike zone," Guardians acting manager Carl Willis said. "He kept us off balance, especially with his split (fastball)."
Cleveland hitters didn't know much about Overton, who was making his seventh major-league start.
"There wasn't a lot of data on him," Guardians first baseman Owen Miller said.
Overton said, "Obviously I'm happy, but there's a lot I could have done better."
Miller cost Overton his second win of the season by hitting a towering two-run homer in the ninth inning off reliever Art Warren, tying the score at 4-4.
From the seventh inning on in games this season, Miller is hitting .382 with three home runs and six RBIs. He has been particularly hard on Cincinnati, going 6-for-14 (.429) with two doubles, three homers and four RBIs.
"We're never out of it," Miller said. "We feed off each other. It's good to see us battle like that."
Reliever Bryan Shaw pitched the seventh for Cleveland, his 475th appearance for the Guardians, tying Willis Hudlin for the third-most among pitchers in franchise history. Shaw trails only Mel Harder (582 appearances) and Bob Feller (570).
Mahle enters the Wednesday game 0-2 with a 6.61 ERA in four career starts against the Guardians. He probably would like to forget his lone start at Progressive Field, in 2018, when he allowed seven runs (five earned) in 2 1/3 innings.
Quantrill is 0-1 with a 5.00 ERA in three career outings (one start) against the Reds.
The Reds could be getting a boost soon, as first baseman Joey Votto is close to returning to the lineup after a stint on the COVID-19 injured list. He has been on a minor-league rehab assignment.
The Guardians have a 2-1 edge in the Ohio Cup series with Cincinnati this season. Even if they lose in the Wednesday finale, they will retain the Cup. The teams split six games last year after Cleveland went 3-1 against Cincinnati in 2020.
--Field Level MediaGet a daily dose of Cincinnati Sun news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Cincinnati Sun.
More InformationMADRID, Spain: Liverpool footballer Diogo Jota and his younger brother, André Silva, have died in a car accident in Spain. Spanish...
LONDON, U.K.: An unrelenting heatwave sweeping across Europe has pushed early summer temperatures to historic highs, triggering deadly...
President Donald Trump's plans to build a space-based Golden Dome missile defense shield have drawn immediate criticism from China,...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: Paramount has agreed to pay US$16 million to settle a lawsuit brought by U.S. President Donald Trump over...
LONDON, U.K.: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer won a vote in Parliament this week to move ahead with changes to the country's welfare...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: President Donald Trump will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday. President...
FRANKLIN, Tennessee: Hundreds of thousands of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles are being recalled across the United States due to a potential...
REDMOND, Washington: Microsoft is the latest tech giant to announce significant job cuts, as the financial strain of building next-generation...
LONDON UK - U.S. stock markets were closed on Friday for Independence Day. Global Forex Markets Wrap Up Friday with Greeback Comeback...
SANTA CLARA, California: Nvidia came within a whisker of making financial history on July 3, briefly surpassing Apple's all-time market...
SACRAMENTO, California: California's multibillion-dollar farms are facing a growing crisis—not from drought or pests, but from a sudden...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: President Donald Trump says the United States could soon reach a trade deal with India. He believes this deal would...