Cincinnati Reds vs San Diego Padres Picks and Predictions May 21st 2024

Free-Falling Reds Open Homestand Against .500 Padres

After a rough West Coast trip, losing seven out of ten games, the Cincinnati Reds are back home and ready to shake things up as they face the San Diego Padres in a three-game series starting Tuesday.

The Reds’ Struggles

The Reds are coming off a tough series in Los Angeles, where they lost the last three games to the Dodgers, scoring just five runs across those defeats, including a heartbreaking 3-2 loss in 10 innings on Sunday. They’ve hit a rough patch, losing 18 of their last 23 games. Now, they have a nine-game homestand to turn things around, with the Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals also set to visit after the Padres.

Cincinnati’s woes are glaring. They’ve been held to fewer than three runs in 11 of their last 23 games and have the worst record in the majors in one-run games at 1-11. Their team batting average of .217 is tied with the Chicago White Sox for the lowest in the league.

The Reds haven’t won a series in their last eight attempts (0-7-1) since sweeping the Los Angeles Angels in mid-April. Reliever Emilio Pagan summed up the team’s mindset: “We know this isn’t acceptable in terms of results. We’ve got to keep playing steady. You don’t want to press too hard or overdo it. We need to string together some wins. It’s no fun coming to the field and losing series after series. We’re too good of a team for this.”

Padres’ Injury Concerns

The Padres have their own issues, especially with injuries. Second baseman Xander Bogaerts left Monday’s game with a left shoulder injury, but initial reports from manager Mike Shildt suggest no structural damage, just mild inflammation. Further tests will confirm his status.

In the same game, right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. had a close call, crashing into the wall but staying in the game. Despite these setbacks, the Padres keep showing resilience. Manny Machado’s clutch performance, including a key double that capped a four-run eighth inning, secured a win in the first game of the doubleheader against the Braves.

Manager Shildt couldn’t hide his admiration: “Oh my gosh, I love this team. I love its grit. Team grit. It’s the definition of winners finding solutions.”

Pitching Matchups

The Reds will start left-hander Andrew Abbott (2-4, 3.06 ERA) in the series opener. Abbott is coming off a strong performance, allowing just four hits and one run over seven innings in his last start against the Arizona Diamondbacks, although he took a no-decision in the 2-1 loss. Abbott will be making his second career start against the Padres; in his first, he allowed one run on four hits with a career-high 12 strikeouts over 7 2/3 innings.

The Padres will counter with right-hander Joe Musgrove (3-3, 6.37 ERA), making his first start since May 1 due to elbow inflammation. Musgrove has a solid track record against the Reds, with a 6-2 record and a 3.75 ERA over 11 starts and 12 appearances.

Conclusion

The series opener between the Cincinnati Reds and the San Diego Padres is set to be a pivotal matchup for both teams. The Reds are in desperate need of a home turnaround, while the Padres are looking to maintain their steady position despite injury woes. With key pitching matchups and important players on both sides, this series could significantly influence the upcoming weeks in the MLB season.