Cincinnati will try to build on its win at Philadelphia on Sunday when it travels to Atlanta for a series opener on Monday night. The Reds had lost three straight games prior to their 6-4 win over the Phillies on Sunday. Atlanta is coming off a disappointing series against San Diego, losing three straight games after winning six of its first seven this season.
Cincinnati opened the season with three wins in its first four games, picking up victories in the final two games of its series against Pittsburgh. The Reds opened their series against the Cubs with a 7-6 win last Monday before losing by seven runs the following day. They had their next two games postponed due to inclement weather before falling to Philadelphia in the first two games of the series over the weekend. Cincinnati was able to salvage the series with a 6-4 win on Sunday to get back to the .500 mark this season. The Reds trailed 4-3 heading into the ninth inning before designated hitter Jake Fraley had a bases-clearing double to give his team the win.
HIS NAME IS RAKE FRALEY @jfral_23 pic.twitter.com/z74VGA3t4M
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) April 9, 2023
Catcher Tyler Stephenson leads Cincinnati with a .385 average and 10 hits through his first 26 at-bats, while center fielder TJ Friedl has homered twice and has a .360 average. The Reds are No. 18 in the majors in team batting average (.249) and are facing an Atlanta pitching staff that is No. 5 in ERA (3.15). Rookie right-handed pitcher Graham Ashcraft will start for Cincinnati in this game. He threw seven strong innings against Pittsburgh in his first outing of the year, allowing one earned run on four hits while striking out six. Ashcraft started 19 games at the big-league level last year, posting a 4.89 ERA and 1.42 WHIP.