The Batting Duel Between the Mariners and the Reds

Coming off a series loss against the Mets, the Mariners traveled to Ohio to play against the Cincinnati Reds. The Reds just finished a four-day series with the Cubs, splitting the games with Chicago. The Reds are 71 and 68, third in the National League Central, just over .500, and close to joining a three-way National League Wild Card tie between Arizona, Miami, and San Francisco.  The Mariners still lead the American League West with 77 wins and 59 losses.

The Mariners are 19th in MLB for batting average while the Reds are 18th.  Seattle is first in pitching ERA while Cincinnati is 24th. While the Mariners thrived in August, the Reds struggled. Given the parity in batting averages, I think that the Mariners need to take this series seriously. I hope the team is hydrating as the temperatures in Cincinnati will be in the high eighties and nineties.

Mariners and Reds Pitching Matchups

Injuries plague the Reds, especially in pitching. The abbreviations are Earned Run Average (ERA), strikeouts (SO), and innings pitched (IP).

Monday, September 4, Game 1: RHP Bryan Woo, 4.15 ERA, 33 runs and 68 SO in 65 IP v. RHP Tejay Antone, reinstated from IL.

Tuesday, September 5, Game 2: RHP Bryce Miller, 3.93 ERA, 48 runs and 100 SOs in 107.2 IP v. RHP Connor Phillips, making his MLB debut

Wednesday, September 6, Game 3: RHP Logan Gilbert, 3.56 ERA, 67 runs and 162 SO in 161.2 IP v. RHP Lyon Richardson, 6.75 ERA, 9 runs and 9 SO in 12 IP

The Reds' Lineup

MLB team statistics rank the Reds and Mariners next to one another in the list of overall batting averages.  I think that viewers will see the similarities. (Read the first player as Left-Handed Batter, #29 [jersey number] [Left Field, Center Field—defensive position] .268 batting average, 77 strikeouts, and 50 runs batted in [in] 418 at-bats.)

LHB #29 TJ Friedl (LF, CF) .268 BA, 77 SO and 50 RBI in 418 ABs

RHB # 4 Harrison Bader .200 BA, O SO and O RBI in 5 ABs

RHB #7 Spencer Steer (1B, 2B) .271 BA, 114 SO and 73 RBI in 497 ABs

SH #44 Elly De La Cruz (SS) .241 BA, 122 SO and 35 RBI in 315 ABs            

LHB #23 Nick Martini (DH) .237 BA, 7 SO and 7 RBIs in 38 ABs

RHB #33 Christian Encarnacion - Strand (1B, DH) .253 BA, 50 SO and 19 RBI in 154 ABs

RHB #15 Nick Senzel (LF, RF) .221 BA, 61 SO and 38 RBI in 258 ABs

LHB #30 Will Benson (LF, RF) .263 BA, 85 SO and 25 RBI in 232 ABs

RHB #16 Noelvi Marte (3B) .224 BA, 16 SO and 6 RBI in 49 ABs

RHB #22 Luke Maile (Catcher) .238 BA, 43 SO and 20 RBI in 151 ABs

RHB #37 Tyler Stephenson (Catcher) .252 BA, 122 SO and 47 RBI in 401 ABs

LHB #27 Jake Fraley (LF) .271 BA, 61 SO and 63 RBI in 299 ABs

RHB Stuart Fairchild (LF) .224 BA, 64 So and 27 RBI in 205 ABs.

I am looking forward to a series win or sweep and to keeping the Mariners’ players healthy. I am interested to see the speed of Elly De La Cruz. I also hope that Eugenio Suarez and Luis Castillo receive a nice welcome back from the fans at the Great American Ball Park. Go, Mariners!