Cincinnati will try to bounce back from a crushing loss when it faces Atlanta in the second game of a three-game series on Tuesday night. The Reds lost on a walk-off two-run home run in 10 innings on Monday night, falling to 4-5 overall. Atlanta had lost three straight games prior to Monday’s thrilling win.
Cincinnati opened the season with three wins in its first four games, but it has lost four of its five games since then. The Reds dropped two out of three at Philadelphia over the weekend before coming up short against Atlanta in 10 innings on Monday. They erased a 3-1 deficit with a pair of ninth inning runs before taking the lead in the top of the tenth, but they gave up a two-run homer in the bottom of the frame. Second baseman Jonathan India led the Reds with a 3 of 5 day at the plate, driving in one run. Cincinnati ranks No. 21 in team batting average (.241) and is facing an Atlanta pitching staff that is No. 8 in ERA (3.84).
Clutch time@JonathanIndia pic.twitter.com/DDqxArynXi
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) April 11, 2023
Right-handed pitcher Luis Cessa is expected to start for Cincinnati on Tuesday night. He made his first start of the season against the Cubs last Tuesday, allowing two earned runs on four hits across 5.1 innings. Cessa did not factor into the decision after the bullpen imploded when he exited the game. He pitched primarily as a reliever last season, with 36 of 46 total appearances coming in that role—he finished with a 4.57 ERA and 1.29 WHIP across 80.2 innings. Cessa is still trying to ramp up his workload as a starter, so he might be capped at around six innings on Tuesday night, assuming he avoids damage in the early innings.