Reds at Giants
The Cincinnati Reds, who opened the season by losing 15 of their first 18 games and firing manager Bryan Price, find themselves as the hottest team in the majors with six straight wins. Fresh from a four-game sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Reds look to maintain their momentum Monday when they begin a three-game series against the host San Francisco Giants.
Eugenio Suarez and Joey Votto each hit two-run home runs in Sunday’s 5-3 victory over the Dodgers as the Reds improved to 11-12 under interim manager Jim Riggleman. Second baseman Scooter Gennett, who is 14-for-26 with four home runs and 10 RBIs during his six-game hitting streak, was given Sunday off to rest his sore right shoulder but expects to be in the starting lineup for all three games against the Giants. Nick Hundley delivered a three-run blast, while Brandon Crawford and Brandon Belt had three hits apiece on Sunday to help San Francisco end a six-game losing streak with a 5-0 win over Pittsburgh. Second baseman Alen Hanson was out of the lineup with a strained left hamstring and is listed as day-to-day for the Giants, who went 4-6 on their 10-game road trip.
TV: 10:15 p.m. ET, MLB Network, FS Ohio (Cincinnati), NBCS Bay Area (San Francisco)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds RH Sal Romano (2-3, 3.83 ERA) vs. Giants RH Chris Stratton (3-3, 4.60)
After posting a 4.65 ERA in six April starts, Romano has been a key part of the Reds’ recent surge, going 1-0 and allowing a total of two runs in his last two outings across 11 1/3 innings. The 24-year-old has a 26-to-17 strikeout-to-walk ratio for the season but has not pitched past the sixth inning in any of his eight starts. Romano is set to make his 25th major-league start and first against San Francisco.
One of the Giants’ biggest surprises in April, Stratton turned in another rough outing Wednesday and took the loss after allowing five runs in 4 2/3 innings against Philadelphia. The 27-year-old has given up four home runs in his last three trips to the mound after not allowing a homer in six consecutive turns dating back to last season. The Giants are 5-3 in his starts this season but have been outscored 35-9 in the three losses.
WALK-OFFS
1. Giants OF Andrew McCutchen is 16-for-43 during his 12-game hitting streak.
2. The Reds are 29-19 against the Giants over the last seven seasons.
3. San Francisco LHP Madison Bumgarner (finger) will throw a bullpen session Monday and could rejoin the team’s rotation when first eligible on May 25.