Reds at Giants
After a sluggish start, Andrew McCutchen finally appears to be settling in with the San Francisco Giants. The veteran right fielder is riding a 13-game hitting streak for the Giants, who continue their three-game series against the visiting Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday.
McCutchen doubled twice to reach 1,500 career hits and scored two runs in Monday’s 10-7 victory as the Giants collected 14 hits and snapped the Reds’ six-game winning streak. San Francisco has won two in a row following a six-game losing streak but will be without second baseman Alen Hanson for at least the next 10 days after the versatile 25-year-old was placed on the disabled list with a left hamstring strain. Cincinnati received a scare Monday when first baseman Joey Votto exited in the fourth inning with a lower back tightness, but the five-time All-Star said after the game that he expects to be in the lineup Tuesday. Reds second baseman Scooter Gennett was named National League Player of the Week after hitting .591 with four home runs and 10 RBI in five games but finished 0-for-5 in Monday’s loss.
TV: 10:15 p.m. ET, FS Ohio (Cincinnati), NBCS Bay Area (San Francisco)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds RH Tyler Mahle (3-4, 3.86 ERA) vs. Giants LH Ty Blach (3-3, 4.20)
Mahle turned in another impressive outing last Thursday against the Los Angeles Dodgers, allowing one unearned run on three hits over five innings. “It was some kind of impressive performance,” interim Reds manager Jim Riggleman told reporters. “He really was electric with his stuff and he got better as the night went on.” The 23-year-old struck out four in the victory and has a 44-to-15 strikeout-to-walk ratio through his first eight starts across 44 1/3 innings.
Blach saw his two-game winning streak come to a sudden halt last Thursday, when he gave up five runs over 4 1/3 innings in a 6-3 loss to Philadelphia. The 27-year-old native of Colorado has allowed a total of three home runs in nine starts over 49 1/3 innings but has only recorded 25 strikeouts. Billy Hamilton has five hits in six at-bats against Blach, who is 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA in two career starts against Cincinnati.
WALK-OFFS
1. San Francisco recalled INF/OF Austin Slater from Triple-A Sacramento to take Hanson’s roster spot.
2. The Reds are 11-13 under Riggleman after opening the season with a 3-15 mark.
3. Giants LHP Madison Bumgarner (finger) threw a successful 20-pitch bullpen session Monday and could rejoin the team in late May or early June.