The Reds of Cincinnati will seek to follow a dominant pitch performance with another Saturday when they send the left -handed Andrew Abbott to the mound against the Padres of San Diego on visit.
Nick Martinez withdrew 22 consecutive strikers and brought an offer without cut in the ninth round before the Reds were satisfied with an 8-1 victory on the Padres Friday in the opening of the three-game series.
Martinez was helped by Spencer Steer’s electricity, who dominated each of his first three strikers to propel Cincinnati to his fourth victory in five outings. Steer completed a solo shot in the second round, went deep to lead the fourth and added an explosion of two points in the fifth for the first match of the three Hommer of the Reds since Jesse Winker accomplished the feat on June 6, 2021.
Cincinnati also received a boost from Austin Hays, who had a double RBI and marked a fifth round race from his return from the wounded list of 10 days due to a contusion of the left foot.
“We checked all the boxes fairly quickly,” said Hays, according to Enquirer (Cincinnati). “I feel good. I feel comfortable in my bats. I was on time for the quick ball, I hit a few bullets that break well.
“I feel good where I am.”
Saturday’s Reds put the ball back to Abbott (7-1, 1.79 ERA), which withdrew the last 18 strikers he faced during a 4-1 victory against the Cardinals of Saint-Louis on Sunday. He gave a point on four strokes in seven rounds, increasing his two -point total in 21 2/3 images in his last three departures.
“He can help us win,” said Martinez about Abbott. “He has this dog in him.”
Abbott, 26, has shown that in a small sample size against San Diego. He has a record of 1-0 with an MPM of 0.61 while removing 14 strikers in two career outings (14 2/3 innings).
The right-hander of San Diego Randy Vasquez (3-4, 3.60) will provide the opposition on Saturday.
Vasquez recorded his sixth consecutive decision without a decision on Sunday despite two points out of five strokes in seven career rounds against the Kansas City Royals during a 3-2 victory. However, he was quite generous with the long ball, allowing 11 circuits in his last nine games.
Vasquez, 26, has not yet faced the Reds in his career.
Xander Bogaerts returned to the programming of the opening of the series after an absence of a match due to a left shoulder injury. He suffered the injury while sliding his head first in marble during Tuesday’s match against the Washington Nationals, and it was on the same shoulder that required surgery last season.
“I think we talked about it.” He’s a 12 -year -old pro, so he knows what he is doing. It is an instinct for him to slide the first one, (therefore) making an adjustment because of his shoulder is something on the table and I think he is aware. “
– field level media