The Cincinnati Reds beat the Seattle Mariners last night 8-4. The Reds have won seven of their last ten games and four straight games. They headed into this series with the Mariners after sweeping the Pittsburgh Pirates. They enter Wednesday second in the NL Central and are a game and a half back from the Chicago Cubs. Injuries have been an early concern for the Reds. However, they had Matt McLain, Austin Hays, and Alexis Diaz all back in action last night. The Reds have two more games left in the series with Seattle. After that, they will head on the road to play the Baltimore Orioles. Having these three back is hopefully adding to the momentum. The team has been playing well over the last ten games. They aim to continue this success as they progress through April and beyond.
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Matt McLain
McLain started at second base last night and hit second behind TJ Friedl. While McLain did not get a base hit last night, he did draw three walks. One of those walks earned him an RBI. He drew a bases-loaded walk in the 8th inning to extend the Reds lead. He also scored on a single by Austin Hays in the third inning.
Austin Hays
Hays was the DH last night and hit fifth behind Gavin Lux in the lineup. Hays went two for four in the game. He hit a single and a three-run home run in the fifth inning off Luis Castillo. This gave the Reds a six-to-four lead.
Alexis Diaz
Diaz came in to pitch in the bottom of the sixth inning. He only recorded two outs and faced four batters. Diaz struck out one and walked two in his first appearance of the year for the Reds. Diaz threw a total of 26 pitches, with 14 of them going for strikes. He earned a hold technically. However, the team will need to see him limit the walks. He must get his command under control before he can be considered to close out tight games again.
Summary
This team has plenty of talent and is still without Tyler Stephenson in the lineup. He is close to a rehab stint as he nurses an oblique injury. With Stephenson healthy, this team will hopefully put up plenty of runs. Spencer Steer is one. Once he shakes off this early-season slump, manager Terry Francona will have plenty of options for his lineups nightly. He should be able to mix and match enough to keep guys fresh throughout the entire season. Emilio Pagan is having success in the closer role. Therefore, the team does not have to rush Diaz back to the spot. Diaz can take his time to return to top form. This flexibility is a luxury the Reds haven’t had recently. The combination of Diaz, Rogers, and Pagan in the late innings is a strength. This strength will be needed for this team to get into the playoffs this year. This team should not be underestimated. They possess a talented big league club and have plenty of depth in the system. They can make a deal when needed for a playoff run. This will be possible if the team can remain on the field as is.
