Reds vs. Phillies, Game 2: Preview/Predictions Thread

Cincinnati Reds vs. Philadelphia Phillies

7:10 PM ET

Brandon Finnegan vs. Jerad Eickhoff

The Reds will face a very competent starter in Eickhoff tonight, who is coming off a strong sophomore campaign that saw him start 33 games with an ERA of 3.65 and a WHIP of 1.160. His fastball isn’t overwhelming, but the secondary offerings are legit and he commands everything quite well, walking only 1.9 batters per nine last season. If there’s a glaring weakness, it’s probably that he’s susceptible to left handed hitting, so look for Joey Votto collect his first hit(s) tonight.

Brandon Finnegan will be making his first start of the year, as he looks to build upon his monstrous second half of 2016. Over the last 70 innings Finnegan pitched last season, he posted a sub-3.00 ERA, while his strikeout percentage skyrocketed. The results were partly credited to Dan Straily teaching Finnegan a new grip for his changeup. We’ll see if it stuck over the winter.

The biggest obstacle to a Reds win tonight won’t be Mr. Eickhoff, but rather the forecast. Thunderstorms are forecasted all throughout tonight’s contest. It’s really hard to see how they will get this one in, but it’s not like they haven’t delayed a game 2 start until the wee hours of the night before.

Most importantly, several of our very own Red Reporters will be at this one, as is annual tradition. They’ll be out in the moon deck in right field so if you’re heading out to this one, maybe see if you can find them. And then buy them a beer.