The Reds have lost 8 in a row after Houston ran them out of Great American 10-0 on Friday, a slide that has seen them outscored 60-23 and tumble from first place in the division to looking up at everyone. They get the homestand continuation Saturday afternoon and a chance to actually win a baseball game, which at this point is its own kind of news.
The pitching matchup is the only reason this game looks competitive on paper. Spencer Arrighetti is 4-0 with a 1.96 ERA and is coming off a 7-inning, 1-run start at Yankee Stadium where the only damage was an Aaron Judge solo shot. Chase Burns counters at 3-1, 2.20, and just spun 6 scoreless against the Giants with 4 punchouts after a clunker against the Angels. Two of the better young arms in the league, same afternoon.
Houston is 16-23 and shouldn't be the favorite anywhere, yet the market has the Reds laying -155 at home. That's almost entirely a Burns-vs-an-Astros-lineup-held-together-with-tape read. The injury list for Houston is genuinely unreal — Correa, Pena, Yainer Diaz, Meyers, Loperfido, Hunter Brown, Hader, Javier, Blanco, Walter — and they've still managed to give Arrighetti enough run support to go 4-0.
- Day-To-DayLance McCullers Jr. SP — McCullers was removed from his start Wednesday against the Dodgers in the top of the third inning after he appeared to be contending with a blister on his pitching hand, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports. He was charged with six earned runs on four hits and three walks over 2.2 innings prior to his departure.
- Day-To-DayWalker Janek C — Double-A Corpus Christi placed Janek on its 7-day injured list Sunday due to an unspecified injury.
- Day-To-DayLucas Spence OF — Double-A Corpus Christi placed Spence on its 7-day injured list April 22 due to an unspecified injury.
- 10-Day-ILJeremy Pena SS — Manager Joe Espada said Friday that Pena (hamstring) will "hopefully" run the bases this weekend, which would be the final step in his rehab program before starting a rehab assignment, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
- 10-Day-ILJoey Loperfido LF — The Astros announced Monday that Loperfido (quadriceps) has started light running and light baseball activity, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
- 10-Day-ILCarlos Correa SS — The Astros placed Correa (ankle) on the 10-day injured list Wednesday.
- 10-Day-ILJake Meyers CF — The Astros announced Monday that Meyers (oblique) has started swinging a bat and reincorporating other baseball activities, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILTaylor Trammell CF — The Astros announced Monday that Trammell (groin) has begun a running progression in addition to taking part in light baseball activity, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
- Day-To-DayRhett Lowder SP — Lowder was given an injection in the AC joint of his right shoulder after an MRI on Friday came back negative, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.
- Day-To-DayConnor Burns C — no
- Day-To-DayJosh Staumont RP — The Twins reinstated Staumont (calf) from the 15-day injured list Friday and optioned him to Triple-A St. Paul, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.
- 10-Day-ILEugenio Suarez 3B — Suarez (oblique) took 50 swings Thursday, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.
- 15-Day-ILCaleb Ferguson RP — Ferguson (oblique) allowed one run on one hit and struck out two over one inning for Double-A Chattanooga on Friday.
- 15-Day-ILEmilio Pagan RP — Pagan said Wednesday that he's been diagnosed with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain and is expected to be sidelined 4-to-8 weeks, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
- 60-Day-ILHunter Greene SP — Greene (elbow) is playing catch from 110 feet and is about three weeks away from progressing to bullpen sessions, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.
- 60-Day-ILBrandon Williamson SP — The Reds transferred Williamson (shoulder) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Wednesday.
The Reds aren't exactly whole either. Eugenio Suarez is still working back from the oblique (took 50 swings Thursday, per Charlie Goldsmith), Rhett Lowder got a cortisone shot in the AC joint after a clean MRI, and Emilio Pagan is looking at 4-to-8 weeks with a Grade 2 hamstring strain. The bullpen has been the soft spot during the skid and losing Pagan's late-inning leverage doesn't help.
The pitching matchup says low-scoring, the total sits at 8.5, and somebody's snapping a streak — either Houston extends what they did Friday or Cincinnati finally exhales. Burns at home with the Reds desperate is the bet the public is making. Whether the Astros' patchwork lineup cooperates is the part nobody actually knows.