The National League’s top rotation will be tested starting Monday evening as the visiting Philadelphia Phillies open a four-game series with the Cincinnati Reds.
In Sunday’s 8-2 win over the Chicago White Sox, Philadelphia starter Aaron Nola allowed two earned runs in the first inning, snapping a streak of 31 1/3 innings without a Phillies starter allowing an earned run, their longest streak since a 37-inning run in 1969.
On Friday, Turnbull took a no-hitter into the seventh against the White Sox. On Saturday, Wheeler took a no-no into the eighth.
“It’s a friendly competition,” Wheeler said. “Spencer had a good night (Friday). I try to go out there and top that. We try to one-up each other, and that’s what makes us good. You’re just trying to beat the guy that goes before you.”
Winners of 14 of their first 22 games and six in a row, the Phillies are off to their best start since 2018.
On Monday, the Phillies will send left-hander Ranger Suarez (3-0, 1.73 ERA) to the mound, making his fifth start of the season.
In his most recent start, on Tuesday against the Colorado Rockies, Suarez threw his second career shutout and first since 2021. He allowed seven hits, striking out eight and walking one in Philadelphia’s 5-0 win.
Suarez is 1-0 with a 2.86 ERA in seven career appearances (three starts) against Cincinnati.
The Reds will counter with Hunter Greene (0-1, 4.35 ERA), making his fifth start of the season and second of his career against the Phillies. In his only other appearance vs. them, Greene allowed two runs on five hits over 4 2/3 innings in a 5-2 loss on April 7, 2023.
In his last outing, on Tuesday at Seattle, Greene allowed one run on four hits over four innings, striking out eight and walking three. He needed 98 pitches to get through four innings as the Reds fell 3-1.
Greene’s 346 career strikeouts are the most by a Reds starting pitcher over his first 50 career starts since the mound was moved to its current distance in 1893.
The Cincinnati bullpen came up big in a three-game weekend sweep of the Los Angeles Angels.
On Saturday, Nick Martinez threw three shutout innings in relief of Graham Ashcraft. On Sunday, five relievers combined on 8 1/3 scoreless innings after Frankie Montas left after being hit on the forearm by a line drive 16 pitches into the game.
Brent Suter went 3 1/3 innings while Emilio Pagan threw two innings before Fernando Cruz, Lucas Sims and Alexis Diaz finished the 3-0 win.
“It was a day of stepping up and helping each other out,” Reds manager David Bell said.
Like the Phillies, the Reds are off to their best start in years. At 12-9, it marks Cincinnati’s best 21-game start since the team also opened 2013 at 12-9.
–Field Level Media
