Cincinnati Reds vs Washington Nationals

The Cincinnati Reds will look at start a winning streak tonight after they picked up a win on Friday night over the Washington Nationals. Cincinnati will be turning to Luis Cessa for the start. Washington is sending Paolo Espino to the mound as he looks to pick up his first win of the season. First pitch is set for 7:05pm ET.

Here are the lineups for tonight's game:

Colin Moran gets called up and put right into the lineup at first base tonight against the Nationals.

Luis Cessa

Making his second straight start, Luis Cessa threw 41 pitches the last time out. That was enough to get him through two innings. We’ll all find out together tonight if he is asked to pitch more than that this time out.

This season he's found more success against left-handed batters, holding them to a .715 OPS with a good strikeout-to-walk ratio. Right-handed hitters, though, have touched him up often. They are hitting for average and power, drawing a lot of walks, and they are making a lot of contact.

Splits

Pitch Usage

Paolo Espino

Espino has spent time in both the rotation and bullpen this year, but his last 13 games have accounted for all of his starts. He's performed far better as a reliever, where he posted a 2.03 ERA and held batters to a .574 OPS. As a starter his ERA is 5.34 this season and opponents have an OPS of .851 against him.

On top of his starter/reliever splits, Espino has big splits with lefties and righties. When it comes to average and on-base percentage there's no difference between the two sides, but right-handed hitters are hitting for significantly more power against Espino than left-handed hitters are.

Splits

Pitch Usage

Earlier this afternoon the Reds placed Mike Moustakas on the injured list and called up Colin Moran from Triple-A. Moran was not on the 40-man roster, so they had to add him, making it a strange choice given that he's hit .176/.192/.338 with 2 walks and 21 strikeouts for Triple-A Louisville in August.

Earlier today I wrote a bunch of words about how Reds top prospect Elly De La Cruz has been making progress as the season has gone along and how that's led to him putting up video game type numbers in the second half of the season.

Cincinnati's injured list between the big league club and Triple-A has enough pitchers on it to be it's own rotation and bullpen. To say it's thin with no depth would be an understatement. Needing anyone with an arm that can throw a baseball 60 feet and 6 inches, the Reds signed Chase Anderson to a minor league deal and placed him onto the taxi squad.

Doug Gray is the owner of RedsMinorLeagues.com, Redleg Nation, and as you guessed it, passionate about the great sport of baseball. He's been writing about baseball since 2006 (contributions formerly at The Athletic and currently at Baseball America). You can keep tabs with him on twitter @dougdirt24.

I can't believe the Reds don't have anybody better the Colin Moran to call up. I realize he is the future LOL. What a joke organization.

The Reds do. It is C. Santana. He plays 1st and 3rd and is hitting over .290

Just the FO trying to justify the signing of Moran

Hey come on Mark, they also signed Chase Anderson, a nearly 35 year old has been. What do you want a serious organization? That would not be the Reds.

He hit HR tonight.

And a broken clock is right twice a day. And it was against the Nationals

"Needing anyone with an arm that can throw a baseball 60 feet and 6 inches,…"Sarcasm not intended, I’m sure.?

Agree with Doug that it is a strange decision to call up Moran given that he is not on the 40 man. Obviously he is not meant to just be a bench occupying warm body since he is in the lineup tonight. Very strange indeed.

I am going to guess that whoever signed Moran is still around with some pull.I may have been a better choice.Wife said I need to get out of the house more anyway.Anybody got Bob's number? She said she would pay.

I guess Lopez is a non-entity. Did he get sent back down?

I have not seen a corresponding move to open the 40 man slot for Moran, so they must have had one open all along. Moran get's Moose's 26 man slot.

Wherever I am (my VPN is working tonight based in Mexico) It's pouring. I got drenched on my evening walk.

Time to Kick this Pig!!

I’d say these are "airport" uniforms, but that's not the call letters for either one in the DC area.

I am going to guess we have trouble with 70 MPH curves tonight.

Now I could be wrong as Farmer goes yard.

Still working on a alternate location, heard the Farmer home run though

My power blinked. I caught the replay.

Within the last hour Bobby Nightengale tweeted:"……Mike Moustakas, placed on the IL today, has a Grade 2 strain in his left calf, which could end his season."

https://twitter.com/nightengalejr/status/1563641468866023424

Guess all that is left is to figure out if Moose is eligible for the 60 Day IL so they can open a spot for somebody else.

Ugly way to end a season, but I know most of us would rather see another call-up get a shot.

Hate it for Moose but doesn't help much if Moran gets any of his at bats as we look ahead to next year.

Wouldn't that be Moran? Whose place dig he take? Or it could be Anderson. I doubt it will be anyone with a future.

nope I guess its Thrall and cowboy and gameday for me

I’m "in Mexico" tonight

Buenas noches!

*slowly beats head against wall after hearing Moran news

Nice stop and flip by Barrero.

Just a tiny bit harder and that's a double 😀

i heard there was a nice bunt

It was GORGEOUS!

Love, love, LOVE AA's arm … but the constant chasing of the garbage pitches and lack of patience is just too hard to watch. I was yelling at my screen with that second swing.

Moran got pretty much all of that one … just missed a few degrees loft or pull.

Imagine if he worked with a decent hitting coach. At the end of the day, too little focus on hitting, too much on loft and HRs.

Maybe. I think we’re all agreed on this forum that ain't Zintner.

I think it's beyond Zinter. Pitchers throw SO or BB. Hitters only HR or SO. It's a bad strategy.

Yeah. I stated a few days ago. Only 11 .300 hitters in the majors.

Cement mixer pounded down the line

chapman to IL from infection to the leg…. from a tattoo

They don't have antibiotics or other meds to cure just plain stupid … wait until the offseason, dude. You’re in a pennant race.

Great throw, Chuckie!

and now we are throwing out base stealers?

BeaUtiFul throw it was

Cowboy saying Espino wants to only hit the edges. And he says the HP Chumpire is blowing a lot of calls.

Commercial Bengals game. Colin Moran. No words. This Front office takes one step forward and 5 backwards.

Loving Chuckie's arm even if he didn't nail the runner. Cowboy is ripping on Cessa a bit for not going after that harder.

And we see an incredible turn by RoY on that GIDP.

Robinson looks very good behind the plate. Pretty quiet, nice arm.

Got to love that catch by Friedl to end Cessa's night.

Anybody else find themselves laughing at Cowboy's commentary on Moran vs. some of the prospects? He's walking a thin line without blasting the organization too hard. Frankly, I like his perspective and comments, especially about selling tickets in 2023.

Friedl. The kids are alright

Well, well, well … nice stroke by TJ!

Well how about Fredl

When you’re the Reds, you really look forward to playing teams that are even worse.

Left on left assault by TJ.Bell must have been asleep at the wheel by not subbing in a righty.You know if Senzel was healthy he was coming in.

And Moran earns his keep for tonight. Does that mean he and TJ sit tomorrow regardless?

Who was the genius that called up Moran?

Colin Moran wants to be here

He's playing for somebody to notice him for 2023.

Well how about that?First the young guy and then the old guy off a lefty?Will we see them tomorrow?Mark and I both want to know.

+500

6 solid innings from our 2 pitchers so far, even if this is the WSH Weaklings.

Obligatory 2 k's per night by Aquino and barerro. Barerro is too talented to not turn it around.

TJ friedl had really changed his power output this year. Great job by whatever hitting coach has been working with him.Wish fraley would get going again. Solid pitching tonight / of course it's D.C.

It's nice to play a team trying to tank even more than the Reds. And they are succeeding, being 6-7 GB the Reds. So, though it's nice to win, it may be a bit too soon to be canonizing Moran. And I notice, until Fraley's BB just now, the Reds again had not. And Cessa makes 4 IP. Maybe that becomes a trend. Or maybe it helps to play the Nationals. I never thought I’d live long enough to say that MLB needs another Bowie Kuhn.

Lol when they show the side view of the right handed batter, a guy in the 3rd row? Has a "sell the team ,Bob" shirt on.

+1,000,000

And in WSH no less

No harm done that inning.

Friedl is a highlight reel by himself tonight

Time for Diaz please!

Fraley + RoY = an add-on run

Cowboy is right … Diaz needs to focus on the batter and the next pitch.

Diaz for Mayor of Cincinnati!

Whew! Cutting it a little close. But the Pig has been Kicked.

Go for the sweep and a 5-5 road trip tomorrow.