Cactus League Game 28: Reds at Rockies

Homer Bailey has allowed the same number of earned runs as he’s logged innings pitched so far in Cactus League play, which is a long-winded way of saying he’s got an ugly 9.00 ERA to date. With word sorta kinda leaking out yesterday that he’ll be the Opening Day starter for the Cincinnati Reds, his start against the Colorado Rockies on Friday will most certainly be his final in-game tune up prior to when games actually count, so it’d be nice to see him get some batters out this time around.

His velocity has seemed OK, and his arm hasn’t had a scalpel near it in over a year, so hopefully he’s just been working out kinks that have caught a bit too much of the plate this March. Some zeroes on the board today would go a long way towards suggesting that he’s still got some gas left in the tank.

Backing him as pitchers listed on the travel roster today will be Kevin Quackenbush, Zack Weiss, Jimmy Herget, and Kyle Crockett.

First pitch is set for 4:10 PM ET, and can be viewed either on MLB Network or on MLB.tv, as the Rockies TV coverage will be on site.

Cincinnati Lineup

Colorado Lineup

Other Notes

• That Rockies lineup looks awfully Opening Day-ish.
• Brandon Dixon is getting a start at 2B today, and since it’s on TV I’m anxious to see how well he covers the position.
• Cody Reed will be pitching in a minor league game today.
• Nick Senzel bonked a dinger in yesterday’s AAA game, as Better Off Red’s Jamie Ramsey reported.