Pirates at Reds, Doubleheader - Preview and Lineups

Fresh off a series victory against the Cardinals, the Reds will play two today against the Pittsburgh Pirates, one of them a makeup from the Reds COVID scare last month.

Speaking of said COVID scare, Nick Senzel has been activated for today’s game since missing every game beginning August 14. This is great news for the Reds, obviously, but maybe even better news for Senzel, who has recovered enough from his (presumed) infection to play professional baseball.

Welcome back, Nick.

Cody Ponce starts game one for the Pirates. It’ll be his third straight start as part of a doubleheader, because 2020.

Ponce’s last outing came against these Reds, a 4-3 win for the Pirates. Ponce pitched four innings, allowing three earned runs against four strikeouts and two walks. In total, Ponce has pitched 13 innings across four appearances (two starts), with a 3.46 ERA, though his 6.75 FIP doesn’t seem particularly assuring.

Trevor Bauer (1.74 ERA) will start for the Reds, his fourth start as part of a 7 inning doubleheader. He’s completed the game in two, while going a full six in another. He’ll look to continue to build on his Cy Young award campaign.

In game two, Mitch Keller will come off the injured list to pitch for the first time since August 1. He’s been dealing with a strained oblique, and has pitched only 7.2 innings over two starts this season. So, we’ll see what happens with that. Last year, Keller pitched 48 innings over 11 starts with a 7.13 ERA. So, naturally, this suggests the Reds may struggle getting hits in game two.

Anthony DeSclafani will attempt to salvage his season in game two. He’s pitched twice against these Pirates this season, going only 6 innings and allowing 11 runs. That’s... not going to get it done.

Reds lineup for Game One

Pirates lineup for Game One