Matt McLain and his stellar rookie teammates aim to continue their remarkable run as the upstart Cincinnati Reds host the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday in the middle game of a three-game set.
In the opener on Friday night, McLain drilled a 101 mph fastball from reliever Justin Martinez into the seats in right for his first career grand slam in a 9-6 win.
Fellow rookie Spencer Steer drove in three runs, and yet another rookie, DH Christian Encarnacion-Strand, singled and scored for Cincinnati, which has won three straight after a six-game skid.
“It’s all part of it,” McLain said. “In baseball, there’s ups and downs, and you’ve just got to ride the highs and get through the lows as fast as you can. But it’s all about making adjustments and coming out and competing to win.”
One Cincinnati rookie who has fallen into a slump is phenom Elly De La Cruz, who has just two hits and no RBIs in 31 at-bats since the All-Star break.
Arizona’s leading Rookie of the Year candidate, Corbin Carroll, walked once but was hitless in three at-bats.
The bullpen continues to carry a big and significant load for Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo, who has used a “committee” approach in high-leverage and save situations.
On Wednesday, Kyle Nelson and Kevin Ginkel pitched out of trouble in the eighth and ninth innings en route to a 5-3 win over the Atlanta Braves.
Miguel Castro allowed a three-run home run to Austin Riley in the eighth inning on Thursday, costing Arizona a chance at a three-game sweep in Atlanta, but he is still a key piece. Scott McGough and Andrew Chafin are also being used in key situations.
Castro has seven saves in 10 chances, Chafin has converted eight of 11 and McGough 7 of 11. Five Diamondbacks pitchers have registered saves this year.
“It’s a nice feeling to have a lot of pieces that I can maneuver down there on that back end,” Lovullo said.
Arizona reinstated the left-hander Chafin from the paternity list on Friday, and another lefty, Joe Mantiply, was optioned to Triple-A Reno. Chafin owns a 3.06 ERA.
The Diamondbacks had not formally announced their starting pitcher for Saturday, but it is expected to rookie right-hander Brandon Pfaadt (0-3, 9.82 ERA), who is with the team.
Pfaadt would be making his seventh major league start of the season but first since June 29 against Tampa Bay, a 6-1 loss. In two-plus innings, he allowed six runs and seven hits. Before that start, he last appeared for Arizona in late May.
The Reds will counter with another rookie, left-hander Brandon Williamson (1-2, 4.96 ERA). Three of the past four starts he pitched in were impacted by rain.
He lasted just two innings in Baltimore on June 26 before the game was interrupted by a rain delay.
On July 6, Williamson came out of the game after just three innings at Washington following a long delay. On Monday, he delivered his second quality start of the season, allowing two runs on four hits in six innings before the game against the visiting San Francisco Giants was suspended in the eighth inning due to storms.
Before the Friday game, Arizona third baseman Geraldo Perdomo asked manager Torey Lovullo if he could represent the team at the home-plate lineup card exchange. Perdomo wanted to embrace Reds manager David Bell, who lost his brother Mike to cancer in 2021.
Perdomo was close with Mike Bell when Perdomo was a minor-leaguer and Bell was on the player development staff in the Diamondbacks organization.
–Field Level Media
