Reds at Nationals
Things haven’t been going well for the Cincinnati Reds in the pitching department this season, but there is some reason for optimism. The Reds will welcome back veteran right-hander Homer Bailey on Saturday when they visit the Washington Nationals for the second of a three-game series.
Cincinnati boasts one of the most fearsome lineups in the league with Scott Schebler joining Joey Votto in the 20-homer club and Adam Duvall, Eugenio Suarez and Zack Cozart all hitting well, but the team entered the weekend with the worst rotation ERA in baseball at 6.12. Top prospect Luis Castillo pitched well in his major-league debut on Friday - two runs allowed in five innings - but the bullpen let the team down before closer Raisel Iglesias allowed Bryce Harper’s game-winning hit in the 10th. The Nationals are usually the team with the suspect bullpen, but four relievers combined to allow one hit in five scoreless innings in Friday’s triumph. Washington will try to get more out of starter Joe Ross on Saturday while Bailey tries to give the Cincinnati bullpen a break.
TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, FSN Ohio (Cincinnati), MASN 2 (Washington)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds RH Homer Bailey (2016: 2-3, 6.65 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Joe Ross (3-3, 5.98)
Bailey is coming off his third elbow surgery since Aug. 2014, the latest being a procedure to clean out bone chips in February. The 31-year-old Texan, who signed a six-year, $105 million contract just before the series of injuries began in 2014, breezed through three rehab starts with a 3-0 record, 1.08 ERA and 17 strikeouts in 16 2/3 total innings. Bailey struggled in six major-league outings last season, yielding a total of 35 hits in 23 innings.
Ross is struggling to find consistency this season and showed off the good and the bad over his last three outings. The 24-year-old struck out 12 and allowed one run across 7 2/3 innings against Baltimore on June 8 but yielded nine runs - seven earned - and 18 hits in a combined 11 2/3 innings over his last two starts. Ross is making his second career start against the Reds and escaped without a decision on July 2, 2016, despite allowing four runs and 10 hits in 5 1/3 frames.
WALK-OFFS
1. Reds INF/OF Scooter Gennett hit his 10th homer on Friday, giving Cincinnati five players with double-digit homers.
2. Washington CF Michael Taylor (undisclosed injury) is day-to-day.
3. Cincinnati CF Billy Hamilton is 0-for-18 over the last four games.