Reds vs Braves Game Three: Preview and Predictions

The big news of the day was that the Reds have won back-to-back games for the first time this season, but then the Braves went and called up their studly beefcake prospect Ronald Acuna and set all of the newspapers on fire. He’ll make his Major-League debut this evening, starting in left field and wearing lucky number 13.

Word on the street is that Brandon Finnegan is pitching for his proverbial life. He has made two starts so far after beginning the season on the disabled list, and both were just short of abject disaster. The Reds have plenty of hungry young pitchers looking to make some bones in the big show, so they don’t really owe Finnegan much. He started his career in the Royals bullpen as a bit player in that storied group that carried them to their World Series victory back in 2015, and he might just find his way back there. To the bullpen, not the World Series.

Cincinnati Reds Lineup / Atlanta Braves Lineup

Other Notes:

• Kevin Quackenbush cleared waivers today and was sent down to Louisville. He was brutal in his few weeks with the Reds, but I get this feeling that we haven’t seen the last of him. And another, adjacent feeling that he will be better next time.
• Mike Trout has accumulated more than 2 WAR so far on the young season. He is on pace for more than 12 WAR this season. He is a better baseball player than anyone else on the planet.
• The Yankees called up their top prospect, Gleybar Torres, this past weekend and the Cardinals called up Tyler O’Neill last week. With Acuna now up as well, I’m pretty confident we will see Nick Senzel in Cincinnati before too long. Of course, Eugenio Suarez will probably be back off the DL very soon too, so it’s gonna be interesting to see where Senzel ends up playing.