A Graham leads a quest for the sacred Cup!

Graham Ashcraft has been good lately. Good good, really.

Dating back to June 30th, he’s made 8 starts, 7 of which were technically deemed ‘quality starts’ while the 8th was merely 5.2 IP of 2 ER bal. He’s been brilliant, and the 51.0 IP he’s logged in that span - 7th most in all of baseball during that timeframe - has helped ease the heavy load carried by the beleaguered Cincinnati Reds bullpen.

That span has also seen him pitch to a 1.94 ERA - the 3rd best among the 73 qualified pitchers. If things go well enough to get to the cavalry of arms later this month and this season turns into something special, well, you can very well point to Ashcraft’s excellence when the going was tough as a key reason this season was saved.

(That’s a big if at this point, I know).

The Ohio Cup is on the line beginning tonight as the Cleveland Guardians come to town, and they’ll be doing so with lefty Logan Allen on the mound to start. As a result - or, rather, because he simply feels like it - manager David Bell has sat many of his most potent bats in deference to right-handedness, and that’s why the lineup looks as it does tonight.

First pitch is set for 6:40 PM ET, and man, would it ever be nice for the Reds to play well in GABP again.

Reds Lineup

Guardians Lineup