The Cincinnati Reds picked up their 4th consecutive win on Monday night as they topped the Rays. Tonight they will look to make it five in a row as they play game two of their series against Tampa Bay. Tonight’s first pitch is scheduled for 6:40pm ET.
Starting Lineups
Starting Pitchers
Chase Burns
In three of his four starts he’s been outstanding, allowing zero or one run in those starts. His outing on April 10th saw him allow five runs in 5.1 innings to the Angels. Despite his three strong starts, he has only picked up one win because the Reds have only scored six total runs across his four starts.
Over the limited action he’s had in his big league career the platoon splits against him have been large. Right-handed hitters have struggled to do much of anything against him. Left-handed hitters, though, have found plenty of success and teams send more lefties to the plate against him than they do righties. They are hitting for a solid average, they walk a lot, and they hit for plenty of power against him.
2025 Splits
| Split | PA | H | 2B | 3B | HR | BB | K | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| RHH | 129 | 24 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 43 | .194 | .225 | .298 |
| LHH | 147 | 32 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 20 | 46 | .254 | .356 | .460 |
Pitch Usage
| 4-Seam | Slider | Change | |
| Velo | 98.4 | 91.0 | 90.2 |
| Usage | 58% | 35% | 8% |
Steven Matz
The first start of the season wasn’t great as he allowed four runs in 5.0 innings against St. Louis in a game Tampa Bay won. Since then he’s allowed five total runs in 16.1 innings. The Rays have won each of those games, too.
A former start who turned into a reliever in 2024, the Rays have put Matz back into the rotation. That means that his splits are a lot less useful than they would be for a guy who had been starting. Still, he threw 55.0 innings last season and that’s not nothing. Lefties did very little against him despite making contact often. Right-handed hitters hit for a high average, but like lefties they almost never walk. Righties showed solid power against him.
2025 Splits
| Split | PA | H | 2B | 3B | HR | BB | K | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| RHH | 180 | 47 | 10 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 36 | .276 | .307 | .435 |
| LHH | 129 | 26 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 23 | .211 | .242 | .341 |
Pitch Usage
| 2-Seam | Curve | Slider | Change | |
| Velo | 93.9 | 78.9 | 84.1 | 83.5 |
| Usage | 46% | 11% | 12% | 30% |
When and Where
- Game time: 6:40pm ET
- Where: Tropicana Field
- Watch: Reds MLB Channel, Reds.tv (in-market), MLB.tv (out of market).
- Listen: 700 WLW AM (Cincinnati area)
- Forecast: They have a dome.
News and Notes
Updates on Nick Lodolo and Jose Trevino
Starting pitcher Nick Lodolo (blister) is close to a new rehab assignment while catcher Jose Trevino (back) could return to the active roster as soon as Wednesday. www.mlb.com/reds/news/ni… #reds
— Mark Sheldon (@msheldon.bsky.social) April 21, 2026 at 5:24 PM
Beating the winning clubs
From the Reds game notes today: The Reds own a Major League-best 12-2 record this season against opponents entering play with a .500 or better winning percentage (minimum 4 games).
Did you know?
Sal Stewart is tied with Elly De La Cruz for the team lead in stolen bases. Stewart, unlike De La Cruz, has not been caught stealing this season. The Reds rookie is currently leading the National League in home runs, runs batted in, slugging percentage, and OPS.
Division Standings
| Team | W | L | GB | Playoff Odds |
| Cincinnati | 15 | 8 | 0.0 | 26.7% |
| Chicago | 13 | 9 | 1.5 | 59.9% |
| St. Louis | 13 | 9 | 1.5 | 12.7% |
| Pittsburgh | 13 | 9 | 1.5 | 60.8% |
| Milwaukee | 12 | 9 | 2.0 | 43.7% |
| Playoff Odds via Fangraphs | ||||