CINCINNATI REDS GAME NOTES

PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS
Thu vs StL: RHP Luis Castilllo vs RHP Jack Flaherty 700 wlw, bsoh, 4:10
Friday: Off Day
Sat vs StL: RHP Tyler Mahle vs RHP Adam Wainwright 700 wlw, bsoh, 4:10
Sun vs StL: RHP Jeff Hoffman vs RHP Carlos Martínez 700 wlw, bsoh, 1:10
Mon vs Pit: RHP José De León vs RHP JT Brubaker 700 wlw, bsoh, 6:40
Tue vs Pit: LHP Wade Miley vs RHP Trevor Cahill 700 wlw, bsoh, 6:40
Wed vs Pit: RHP Luis Castillo vs RHP Chad Kuhl 700 wlw, bsoh, 12:35

TODAY’S GAME: Is Game 1 of the 2021 Championship Season and
Game 1 of a 6-game homestand that includes tomorrow’s off day and a
3-game series vs the Pirates…the Reds went 7-19-2 in spring training.

TODAY’S TRANSACTIONS: Today the Reds reinstated from the injured list
1B Joey Votto; selected from Chattanooga the contract of 2B Jonathan
India; optioned to the alternate training site IF Max Schrock and OF Mark
Payton; placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to 3/29, OF Shogo
Akiyama (left hamstring strain), RHP Sonny Gray (muscle strain in his
back) and RHP Michael Lorenzen (right shoulder strain); designated for
assignment RHP Edgar García.

OPENING DAY STARTER: RHP Luis Castillo is making his second career
Opening Day start…he also earned the honor in 2019, when he went on to
become a National League All-Sar…in that 2019 opener was the victim of a
blown save in the 5-3 win vs the Pirates (5.2ip, 2h, 1er, 3bb, 8k)…that year, he
became the fifth straight different Opening Day starter for the Reds (Johnny
Cueto 2012-2015, Raisel Iglesias 2016, Scott Feldman in 2017, Homer
Bailey in 2018)…RHP Sonny Gray started last year’s Opening Day game.

SERIES NOTES: The Reds went 4-5-3 in their previous 12 series vs StL,
including 1-2 in 3 series in 2020… the Cardinals’ .507 winning percentage
at Great American Ball Park (76-74) is the highest among all NL Central
opponents and the only winning percentage among division teams above
.500…Joey Votto has 211 career hits vs the Cardinals (211-679, .311,
.952ops), the most among active players…in the live ball era, his career
.430 OBP vs StL ranks second among all players with at least 500 plate
apps (Lefty O’Doul 1st, .477; Ralph Kiner 3rd, .424)…in his last 74 apps
vs StL beginning 8/2/16, Votto is hitting .327 (90-275, 19 2b, 1 3b, 12hr,
42rbi, .428obp, .535slg).

BIG 2020 MOMENT: On 9/11 at StL, in one of the Reds’ most pivotal
games of last season, RHP Luis Castillo threw a 2-hitter for his first career
complete game…that 3-1 win at Busch Stadium began a streak in which
the Reds would finish the year with 12 wins in their last 16 games to earn
their first Postseason berth since 2013…entered that 9/11 game in fourth
place, a season-high 6 games under .500, 6.5 games out of first place
in the NL Central Division and 3.5 games out of the Wild Card…the Reds
went 12-4 over their last 16 games of a season for the first time since 1980.

VOTTO RETURNS: 1B Joey Votto today was reinstated from the injured
list…he missed 13 days of spring training camp (3/8-3/20) after testing
positive for the COVID-19 virus…returned to camp on 3/21 and 5 days later
was back in the starting lineup…played in 3 of the Reds’ last 4 exhibition
games, including 5 innings Friday, 5 innings Saturday and 8 innings on
Monday’s getaway day…the 2010 Most Valuable Player and 6-time AllStar gave the team permission to disclose the positive test result.

INJURED: OF Shogo Akiyama (left hamstring strain), RHP Sonny Gray
(muscle strain in his back) and RHP Michael Lorenzen (right shoulder strain)
will start the season on the 10-day injured list…RHP Brandon Bailey will
begin the year on the 60-day injured list and will miss the season following
2/26/21 “Tommy John” surgery to repair the torn ulnar collateral ligament
in his right elbow.

SHIFTING: Beginning with an exhibition game on 3/16, Eugenio Suárez
made his last 10 starts of the spring at shortstop and Mike Moustakas made his last 9 starts at third base…Jonathan India
led the team with 16 spring training starts at second base…in 2015, Suárez led the Reds in starts SS but in each of the last
5 seasons led the team in starts at 3B…he holds the National League record for home runs by a third baseman (49hr in
2019)…in the first 9 seasons of his Major League career through 2019, Moustakas made 1,042 apps at 3B and 47 apps at
2B…he received Rawlings Gold Glove Award votes for defensive excellence at third base in 2012, 2015, 2018 and 2019,
finishing second in the balloting in 2012…last season he played second base full-time for the first time in his career and led
the Reds in games at that position.

2020 RED HOTS
• The 2020 Championship Season was shortened to 60 games by a global pandemic fueled by the COVID-19 virus.
• With 7-2 win at Min in the 58th game of the season, the Reds cliched their first Postseason berth since 2013…Joey
Votto was the only player or coach remaining from that 2013 club.
• Reds won their last 5 series of the regular season, including 4 series wins vs Postseason teams (StL, Mil, WSox, Min).
• The Reds were the only road team to win a series at Min’s Target Field, where the Twins finished with the best home
record in the Major Leagues at 24-7.
• The Reds joined the 1906 White Sox and 2007 Diamondbacks as the only teams ever to finish last in the league in
batting average and still earn a Postseason berth.
• Became the first Reds team, since 1900, with more walks (239) than singles (221).

WELCOME: In the 2020 Opening Day win vs the Tigers, OF
Shogo Akimaya became the first player born in Japan to appear
in a game for the Reds…Akiyama pinch hit for Phillip Ervin in the
sixth inning and produced an RBI-single off José Cisnero…prior
to 2020, Cincinnati was the only Major League franchise never to
have an appearance by a player born in that country…prior to this
2021 season, 70 players born in Japan appeared in at least 1 Major
League game, including 9 last season.

INJURED LIST
On Date Off ^Games
Player (Reason) IL Eligible IL Missed
Shogo Akiyama (left hamstring) 4/1 4/8 – 0-0
*Brandon Bailey (right elbow) 4/1 5/31 – 0-0
Sonny Gray (back strain) 4/1 4/8 – 0-0
Michael Lorenzen (right shoulder) 4/1 4/8 0-0
^ Team record in number of games missed while on the Injured List

• Bailey on 60-day injured list

WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS: 1919, 1940, 1975, 1976, 1990 NATIONAL LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: 1919, 1939, 1940, 1961, 1970, 1972, 1975, 1976, 1990

Opening Day Starter – #58 Luis Castillo, RHP

RED HOTS • Is making the second Opening Day start of his career…see gamenotes Page 1.
• Since his Major League debut in 2017 leads the Reds’ pitching staff in wins (32), starts (90), IP (519.2) and strikeouts (578).
• Is the first pitcher with an ERA of 3.62 or lower through his first 4 seasons for the Reds, with a minimum of 90 starts, since Gary Nolan (2.92, 1967-1970).
• Led the Reds in starts in each of the last 3 seasons, in wins and strikeouts in 2 of the last 3 seasons and in ERA and innings pitched in 2 of the last 4 seasons.
• In 2020 ranked among the National League leaders in strikeouts per 9 innings (11.44, 6th), strikeouts (8th) and ERA (11th).
• In September 2020, led the National League in wins (4) while ranking fifth in ERA (2.20) as the Reds battled for their first Postseason berth since 2013.
• Started and suffered the 5-0 loss at Atl in the deciding Game 2 of the National League Wild Card Series…allowed only an RBI-double to Ronald Acuña Jr. with 2
outs in the bottom of the fifth inning…became just the second Reds pitcher ever to record at least 7 strikeouts while only allowing 1 run or less in a Postseason
debut, joining Hod Eller (9k, 1919 World Series Game 5 at White Sox).

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