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[Cincinnati Reds]

Zack Littell strikes three in first inning with Cincinnati Reds

The Cincinnati Reds brought in right-hander Zack Littell from the Tampa Bay Rays at the July 31st trade deadline, and did so to help solidify a pitching staff that was wearing perilously thin.

Little did they know that Nick Lodolo would land on the 15-day IL as he did today, his blister issues popping up during yesterday’s outing against the Chicago Cubs. That forced starter-turned-reliever Nick Martinez into a fireman role, something he’ll fill only for one day as he now moves back into the rotation spot temporarily vacated by Lodolo.

Anyway, Littell’s on the mound for the first time in a Reds uniform right now (Tuesday night) in Wrigley Field, and in his first inning on the bump for his new club he struuck out a trio of Baby Bears.

Some nasty strikeouts in Zack Littell's first inning as a Red. pic.twitter.com/VMHn5YffMp

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) August 6, 2025

That’s the story on the field. The story on Red Reporter is that we’ve finally managed to migrate everything from the old Chorus CMS to WordPress, and now we’ve got the ability to post articles after a day and a half of transition. So, that’s what this is – the first post at RR in the new system.

Let us know in the comments a) what you think about Littell this evening and b) if there’s anything glitchy you’re experiencing on the new site format.

By the way, check out The Feed – it’s a half-scroll down on the homepage and is going to operate something akin to the old FanPosts/FanShots and our own Twitter-ish timeline, and all y’all will be able to post things there you find relevant (and comment on them, too).

Meet the new RR – same as the old RR (kinda)!

Source: https://www.redreporter.com/latest-news/42740/zack-littel-cincinnati-reds-chicago-cubs

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

Game 115: Reds at Cubs (2:20 PM ET) – Abbott vs. Horton

The Cincinnati Reds go for the series sweep in Wrigley Field today after having dispatched the Chicago Cubs in each of the last two contests.

All-Star lefty Andrew Abbott is on the mound for the good guys, while Cade Horton starts for the Baby Bears.

First pitch is set for 2:20 PM ET. Lineups below.

Go Reds!

Today’s Lineups​

TJ Friedl – CF	Nico Hoerner – 2B
Spencer Steer – 1B	Justin Turner – 1B
Elly De La Cruz – SS	Seiya Suzuki – DH
Austin Hays – DH	Carson Kelly – C
Gavin Lux – 2B	Pete Crow-Armstrong – CF
Tyler Stephenson – C	Willi Castro – RF
Noelvi Marte – RF	Ian Happ – LF
Jake Fraley – LF	Dansby Swanson – SS
Ke’Bryan Hayes – 3B	Matt Shaw – 3B
Andrew Abbott – LHP	Cade Horton – RHP

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CUBS​

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Source: https://www.redreporter.com/game-threads/44849/cincinnati-reds-chicago-cubs-sweep-playoffs

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

Reds aim for series sweep over Cubs in Wrigley

The Cincinnati Reds got a huge 3-run homer from Spencer Steer last night in the 7th inning of their game against the Chicago Cubs, the blast leading them to a 5-1 win over their National League Central rivals.

It was all the offense they needed after Zack Littell shined bright in his first start with the club since being acquired at the trade deadline from the Tampa Bay Rays. Littell fired 7.0 IP of 3 H, ER ball in his debut, fanning 8 against 2 walks while pounding the strike zone throughout. It was precisely the kind of reassuring ‘pick me up’ the Reds needed on the same day they placed lefty Nick Lodolo on the IL with blister issues, as it appears the shuffle they’ve implemented within their rotation might end up holding water after all.

Tuesday’s victory confirmed the series win, and on Wednesday the Reds and Cubs will tussle under the afternoon sky in Wrigley Field the way the baseball gods always intended. It’s a 2:20 PM ET matinee, and the Reds will have All-Star Andrew Abbott on the bump doing the dirty work. Cade Horton gets the start for Chicago.

The Reds begin the day 3 games back of the final Wild Card spot in the NL, trailing the New York Mets and San Diego Padres (who are tied for the final two spots in the standings entering the day). The Cubs currently occupy the top Wild Card spot in the NL with a 2.5 game lead over the Mets and Padres.

Cincinnati is also mixing up their lineup a bit on getaway day. Matt McLain gets the day off (on his birthday, no less!) and Spencer Steer moves up to the #2 spot in the lineup. Gavin Lux, meanwhile, is in the lineup and playing 2B for the day.

Gooooood morning, Reds fans.

Powered by @PNCBank pic.twitter.com/XuCQcQvgqb

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) August 6, 2025

Go Reds!

Source: https://www.redreporter.com/game-pr...ti-reds-chicago-cubs-sweep-wild-card-playoffs

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

At what point can this Cincinnati Reds season be considered a success?

The Cincinnati Reds are 60-56 this morning after back to back losses, the first coming at the hands of the Chicago Cubs in a series the Reds had already claimed and the latter coming at the hands of future Cy Young winner Paul Skenes.

That’s hardly a slide, or anything. That’s just how the ebbs and flows of most baseball seasons go for teams with tangible aspirations.

This Reds team has those aspirations, at least to some extent. They hired Terry Francona last offseason. They didn’t become ‘sellers’ at last week’s trade deadline, even if some of the moves they did make reeked of merely adding along the tight financial margins. They have built things in a painfully slow fashion, and legitimately look as if they’ve formed a core that could be right in the mix of it this year and beyond.

Is that alone a success to you? Is simply being still relevant enough to put on the television in August good enough? For all the promise and dedication to this club, they still aren’t even in a playoff spot – they sit 3.5 games back of the New York Mets and San Diego Padres for the final Wild Card spot in a format where seven National League teams make the postseason.

It’s hard for me not to view this season through the lens of 2023, the first ‘breakout’ year the Reds had with their retooled roster after the purge and rebuild of 2021-2022. They were 10 games over .500, in 1st place in the NL Central at the end of July, and sat far too idle at the trade deadline only to watch the season peter out with no playoff bid. That season featured incredible highlights and fantastic emergences, yet still culminated in the Reds not being able to claim they were even one of the 14 best MLB franchises of the season.

A playoff game this year feels paramount. This team getting over that hump and finally back into the postseason in a full-season for the first time since Chase Burns was 10 years old. For 2025 to go down in my own history book as anything other than another disappointment, the Reds need to make the playoffs.

Not doing so would become another stain on a front office that, in my opinion, has gone far too long with total autonomy and absolutely zero penalty for underachievement. The 3B situation (and the money they’ve thrown around trying to solve it) might cost us a chance to see Elly De La Cruz in the postseason in a Reds uniform, something we’re only going to have even a chance to see perhaps four more times. Not being able to find a slugger of any sort to buttress a lineup that clearly needs it already sticks out like a sore thumb, a crime that could end up costing a year of the core’s otherwise optimistic emergence.

What say you? What do these Reds need to pull off across the final 46 games of this regular season for it to go down as a ‘success’ in your mind?

Source: https://www.redreporter.com/peer-in...nati-reds-dont-make-playoffs-wild-card-rumors

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

Game 116: Reds at Pirates (6:40 PM ET) – Singer vs. Skenes

The Cincinnati Reds are up against it a bit tonight as National League Cy Young Award frontrunner Paul Skenes stands between them and victory. The Reds are on the road in Pittsburgh to begin a four-game series against the Pirates in a clash of NL Central rivals, with the Reds fresh off a series victory over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field earlier in the week.

Brady Singer will toe the rubber for the Reds, who at 60-55 sit 3 games back of the final NL Wild Card spot.

First pitch is set for 6:40 PM ET. Lineups below.

Go Reds!

Today’s Lineups​

TJ Friedl – CF	Spencer Horwitz – 1B
Matt McLain – 2B	Nick Gonzales – 2B
Elly De La Cruz – SS	Bryan Reynolds – RF
Austin Hays – LF	Oneil Cruz – CF
Gavin Lux – DH	Andrew McCutchen – DH
Spencer Steer – 1B	Jack Suwinski – LF
Noelvi Marte – RF	Jared Triolo – SS
Jose Trevino – C	Henry Davis – C
Ke’Bryan Hayes – 3B	Isiah Kiner-Falefa – 3B
Brady Singer – RHP	Paul Skenes – RHP

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REDS​

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PIRATES​

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Source: https://www.redreporter.com/game-threads/46732/paul-skenes-cincinnati-reds-pittsburgh-pirates-game

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

Game 118: Reds at Pirates (6:40 PM ET) – Martinez vs. Ashcraft

The Cincinnati Reds will try to channel their inner Chase Burns on Saturday and claw their way back into the series against the Pittsburgh Pirates, to whom they’ve already dropped the first two games of the series.

This time, they’ll send Nick Martinez to the mound in his return to the starting rotation. After the acquisition of Zack Littell at the trade deadline, Martinez was slated to move into more of a hybrid/long-relief role, but the immediate flare-up of Nick Lodolo’s blister meant he was shifted back to the rotation before his other role ever truly began.

Pittsburgh will counter with Braxton Ashcraft, who hopefully isn’t even the best Ashcraft in building on the evening.

First pitch is set for 6:40 PM ET, with the gme televised on FanDuel Sports Network Ohio, which is too much of a mouthful to really want to ever say, let alone type.

Lineups below. Go Reds!

Today’s Lineups​

TJ Friedl – CF	Spencer Horwitz – 1B
Matt McLain – 2B	Tommy Pham – LF
Elly De La Cruz – SS	Bryan Reynolds – RF
Miguel Andujar – DH	Oneil Cruz – CF
Gavin Lux – LF	Andrew McCutchen – DH
Spencer Steer – 1B	Nick Gonzales – 2B
Tyler Stephenson – C	Joey Bart – C
Noelvi Marte – RF	Liover Peguero – SS
Ke’Bryan Hayes – 3B	Jared Triolo – 3B
Nick Martinez – RHP	Braxton Ashcraft – RHP

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REDS​

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PIRATES​

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Source: https://www.redreporter.com/game-threads/47938/cincinnati-reds-pittsburgh-pirates-nick-martinez

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

Game 119: Reds at Pirates (1:35 PM ET) – Littell vs. Burrows

A victory by the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday in Pittsburgh would give them a split of their four-game series against the Pirates in PNC Park. It would also wrap up a winning road trip after the club took two of three off the Chicago Cubs earlier in the week in Wrigley Field.

Zack Littell toes the rubber for the Reds in the series finale, with first pitch set for a matinee start at 1:35 PM ET.

Lineups below. Go Reds!

Today’s Lineups​

TJ Friedl – CF	Spencer Horwitz – 1B
Gavin Lux – 2B	Tommy Pham – LF
Elly De La Cruz – SS	Bryan Reynolds – DH
Miguel Andujar – DH	Oneil Cruz – CF
Austin Hays – LF	Nick Gonzales – 2B
Noelvi Marte – RF	Jack Suwinski – RF
Spencer Steer – 1B	Jared Triolo – SS
Jose Trevino – C	Henry Davis – C
Ke’Bryan Hayes – 3B	Isiah Kiner-Falefa – 3B
Zack Littell – RHP	Mike Burrows – RHP

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REDS​

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PIRATES​

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Source: https://www.redreporter.com/game-threads/48310/cincinnati-reds-pittsburgh-pirates-zack-littell

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

To make the playoffs, the Reds must go through playoff teams

The most recent test on the table for the Cincinnati Reds was a 4-game set against the last place Pittsburgh Pirates. They lost the first pair of games in the series, yet managed to salvage the latter half of it, exiting right where they were when they started – 5 games over .500, and not yet in possession of a playoff spot.

Their upcoming schedule affords them fewer such opportunities. In fact, the next six games on their schedule are set against the two National League clubs with the best winning percentages so far this season. And, as I squint, I see that they’re the two Major League clubs with the best winning percentages so far this season.

That’s not on the back of some absurd early-season stretch, either. The Philadelphia Phillies, who open a 3-game set in Great American Ball Park on Monday night, just swept the Texas Rangers on the road and have won 6 of their last 7 overall. Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Brewers – in Pittsburgh tonight for a quick 3-game series and in GABP on Friday after that – are riding an absurd 9-game win streak (and have won 12 of 13 overall).

It’s the meat of the Cincinnati Reds schedule. It’s also what they must get through with aplomb if they’re actually going to jump into a playoff spot this season, since the schedule doesn’t exactly get any less difficult to navigate after this homestand against MLB’s elite.

In fact, what lies after this week’s slate of games is, historically, what has derailed so many fringe Reds seasons of the past – a 3-stop, 9-game road trip to the West Coast, including a stint at the home of the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers.

The good news, as we learned yesterday, is that the Reds are set to welcome back ace Hunter Greene to wrap their series against the Phillies. That’ll bolster an already stout starting rotation and allow more flexible arms to round out a beleaguered bullpen. The hope, of course, is that’s the edge the staff needs to continue locking down opposing offenses.

First pitch on Monday night will be chucked by lefty Andrew Abbott, with righty Taijuan Walker getting the start for the Phillies. That’s slated for an early 6:10 PM ET start, so don’t miss it.

Source: https://www.redreporter.com/game-previews/48315/cincinnati-reds-philaelphia-phillies-preview

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

The post-deadline Cincinnati Reds offense has been awful

The Philadelphia Phillies are a really, really, ridiculously good baseball team. They’re headed to the playoffs for a reason, and they’ll likely claim the NL East division title along the way.

Their 4-1 comeback victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Monday in the series opener showcased a lot of why they’re so good – timely hitting, sure, but also some pretty relentlessly excellent pitching.

I noted yesterday that the Phils boast the best starting pitching unit in the game, and even Taijuan Walker got in on that success yesterday. So, it’s a bit ripe to dunk on the sputtering Cincinnati offense right after they fumbled against the best pitching in the league, I’ll admit.

However, when Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall chose to define his collective efforts at the trade deadline by saying ‘we feel we improved our pitching, our defense, and our offense,’ it’s hard not to stare directly at the numbers produced since then. And when you do look at the offensive ones in particular, they’re just about as bad as they could be.

10 games does not a large-enough sample make, but that’s not what the trade deadline is designed to highlight. The trade deadline is designed specifically for teams to try to catch lightning in a bottle for a small sample, and the Reds offense, to date, looks like they simply just got struck.

Their 67 wRC+ since the deadline ranks 29th out of 30 clubs, ahead of only the selling Baltimore Orioles. If you think the park factor in how wRC+ overly penalizes the Reds for not being more offensive in their bandbox home park, I’ll add that their .271 wOBA also ranks 29th (ahead of only Baltimore).

The 6 homers they’ve hit since August 1st is the least by any team in that time. To his credit, Ke’Bryan Hayes did homer in his debut on July 31st, and if you roll the date back for this sample to include games that day, the Reds have 9 total homers – better than only Baltimore, St. Louis, and the San Diego Padres.

The Reds ISO of .109 in August is the second worst in the league. Their 5.7% walk rate this month is, unsurprisingly at this point of the article, also second worst in the league.

Has it been bad luck? Not really, as their .298 BABIP is actually 12th best in that time. Their HR/FB% of just 6.5% in August ranks dead last among all big league clubs, though I guess I’d be more critical of that had they played more than 3 of these 10 games in GABP. Still, when the team for the season ranks second worst in EV50 (the average of the hardest-hit 50 balls), it’s hard not to see that fly balls that don’t clear the fence may well be an unintended feature, not a bug.

There’s still time for this to stabilize, if it’s going to stabilize. Hayes could find a bit more magic than the 32 wRC+ he’s posted in a Reds uniform, though it’s only fair to point out that he’s been by far the better Hayes/Hays on the club in that time – Austin’s at a miserable -22 wRC+ since July 31st. Miguel Andujar could hit his way into Reds lore, and even Elly De La Cruz might remember how to sock a homer again.

Still, as the most crunchy of crunch-times of the season has appeared on the calendar, the Cincinnati Reds offense simply has not. That’s got to change and change soon, or this season is going to slip by the wayside in an inverse way from how 2023 did, too.

Source: https://www.redreporter.com/stat-co...ati-reds-trade-deadline-offense-kebryan-hayes

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

Game 121: Reds vs. Phillies (6:40 PM ET) – Singer vs. Suarez

The Cincinnati Reds return to action in Great American Ball Park on Tuesday evening after the disappointing loss yesterday to the Philadelphia Phillies in the first game of the series.

Andrew Abbott was brilliant through 7 innings, though he (and the defense) fell apart in the Top of the 8th in the 4-1 loss. The offense, obviously, was mostly quiet – a hallmark of offenses against Philly’s elite pitching staff.

Brady Singer will toe the rubber for the Reds tonight, while lefty Ranger Suarez – yet another insanely good arm on their roster – will go for Philadelphia. The Reds have tailored their starting lineup for action against LHP, meaning you’re going to see Santiago Espinal in there at 3B.

I probably should’ve given a trigger warning before typing that. I apologies.

First pitch is set for 6:40 PM ET. Lineups below.

Go Reds!

Today’s Lineups​

Trea Turner – SS	TJ Friedl – CF
Kyle Schwarber – DH	Spencer Steer – 1B
Bryce Harper – 1B	Elly De La Cruz – SS
Nick Castellanos – RF	Miguel Andujar – DH
Brandon Marsh – CF	Austin Hays – LF
Edmundo Sosa – 3B	Noelvi Marte – RF
Max Kepler – LF	Matt McLain – 2B
Bryson Stott – 2B	Jose Trevino – C
Rafael Marchan – C	Santiago Espinal – 3B
Ranger Suarez – LHP	Brady Singer – RHP

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REDS​

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Source: https://www.redreporter.com/game-threads/48326/cincinnati-reds-brady-singer-game-thread-how-to-watch

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

Reds blast past Phillies 8-0 in Hunter Greene’s return

Hunter Greene struck out 6 and allowed only 3 hits in 6.0 sparkling, scoreless frames in his first outing in a Cincinnati Reds uniform in a pair of months, and the Cincinnati Reds breezed past the Philadelphia Phillies 8-0 to win yet another vital series in their chase for the playoffs.

Despite the end score, this game was tight early. Cristopher Sánchez was his typically elite self until the Bottom of the 6th, having allowed only a lone earned run before the heart of the Cincinnati batting order smacked a series of hard liners and Philadelphia’s defense fell completely apart – at one point, Noelvi Marte turned a single into LF into a Little League dinger after a pair of errant throws on Philly’s part.

The Bottom of the 7th saw the Reds play add-on against Jordan Romano and the Phillies bullpen, with Miguel Andujar’s moonshot grand slam ultimately breaking the game wide open and giving the scoreboard the score it would take into the night.

The Reds won, 8-0, and took the series over the best of the best in the NL East. They welcomed back their ace, moved back to a season-high 6 games over the .500 mark, and inched ever closer to the final National League Wild Card spot in the process.

(For the record, the New York Mets are hosting the Atlanta Braves this evening while being a pair of games up on Cincinnati, though that game is in a rain delay.)

The Reds welcome the white-hot Milwaukee Brewers to town after Thursday’s off-day, with Milwaukee’s victory today pushing their active win streak to an absurd 12 games.

The Reds are in it, man!

Tony Graphanino​

WPA Chart & Box Score via FanGraphs.com

Source: https://www.redreporter.com/game-recaps/48340/miguel-andujar-grand-slam-hunter-greene-reds-phillies