Reds seek revenge as Padres come calling

The Cincinnati Reds will have revenge on their mind when they begin a three-game series with the visiting San Diego Padres on Tuesday.

The Padres began an eight-game winning streak with their first-ever four-game sweep of the Reds from June 17-20.

“They’re a good team, no question. We’re a good team, so we expect to win games (there) for sure,” Reds manager David Bell said of the four-game sweep at the hands of the Padres. “It takes our best, and looking back, the first game of the series, there was a shift there for sure at the end of that game.

“I still believe that’s going to be a positive for us in the long run. But yeah, it was a tough series.”

 

While the Reds are 3-2 so far on their season-high, 11-game homestand, the Padres just finished a 9-1 homestand in which they played in front of near-capacity crowds for the first time since 2019.

“It’s going to suck leaving and going on the road because it’s been so fun playing here,” Padres manager Jayce Tingler said.

San Diego’s four-game sweep of Cincinnati was sparked by a dramatic four-run rally in the bottom of a ninth of the opener, featuring two-run homers from Eric Hosmer and Victor Caratini.

“I think it’s the full stadium,” Padres second baseman Jake Cronenworth said of the team’s home success. “You can credit it to a bunch of things — guys having quality at-bats, great pitching, and great defense. But I think that first night, with the comeback in the ninth there, I think that kind of sparked everything for the rest of the weekend.”

The Padres will start left-hander Blake Snell (3-3, 5.29 ERA) on Tuesday in the opener of the three-game set. In his most recent start, June 22 in San Diego, Snell blanked the Los Angeles Dodgers over five innings, allowing four hits, striking out five and walking three.

Snell will be making his first career start against Cincinnati.

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Rookie right-hander Tony Santillan, who struck out as a pinch hitter Monday in the Reds’ 12-4 win over the Philadelphia Phillies, will make his fourth career start Tuesday. It will be his second outing against the Padres. On June 18 in San Diego, Santillan allowed three runs and four hits over three innings, taking the loss in San Diego’s 8-2 win.

Santillan (1-1, 3.29 ERA) is coming off his first career win, when he held the Atlanta Braves to three hits and one run over six innings in a 5-3 win on Thursday. He walked three and struck out eight.

Bell indicated before Monday’s game that right-hander Sonny Gray is on track to come off the injured list for a Friday start against the Chicago Cubs after his rehab starts Saturday with Triple-A Louisville.

 

Gray, who tweaked his right groin on June 8 vs. the Milwaukee Brewers, threw three scoreless innings for Louisville in a 6-1 win over Indianapolis. Gray allowed just one hit, striking out four and walking three while throwing 53 pitches.

Reds center fielder Tyler Naquin is day-to-day after being scratched from the Monday game due to a sore right wrist.

–Field Level Media