The Cincinnati Reds have won the first two games of the series in Texas. This afternoon they will go for the 3-game sweep to start their first road trip of the season. First pitch against the Rangers is scheduled for 2:35pm ET.
Starting Lineups
Starting Pitchers
Stats are from 2025.
Chase Burns
In his first start of the year, Burns picked up a win as he allowed just one hit in 5.0 shutout innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates. It was his first start since he went on the injured list last August and it looked like he hadn’t skipped a beat.
In his 48.1 innings in the big leagues he’s had some big splits. He’s dominated right-handed hitters. They don’t get hits, they don’t walk, they strike out a ton, and they hit for no power. Left-handed hitters hit for a solidish average given the current way the league plays, they walk a lot, strike out a lot, and they hit for plenty of power against him.
Career Splits
| Split | PA | H | 2B | 3B | HR | BB | K | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| RHH | 98 | 19 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 37 | .202 | .235 | .298 |
| LHH | 109 | 23 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 15 | 37 | .247 | .352 | .462 |
2025 Pitch Usage
| 4-Seam | Curve | Slider | Change | |
| Velo | 98.5 | 84.5 | 90.4 | 90.8 |
| Usage | 56% | 3% | 34% | 7% |
Jack Leiter
After struggling in limited action as a rookie in 2024, Jack Leiter has been much better in the 20 starts he’s made since, posting a 3.82 ERA in that span. He struck out eight batters in 6.0 innings last week against Baltimore in his first start of the year while giving up just two runs and walking one batter.
Like Burns, Leiter has shown splits in his career. But his splits are reverse ones. Right-handed hitters hit for a high average and walk at a solid rate while also hitting for solid power. Left-handed hitters walk at a high rate and hit for ok-ish power when they do get hits, but they have not found too many hits against Leiter.
I included his 2026 pitch usage for the spring and regular season because he’s added a cutter this year and that felt like valuable information.
Career Splits
| Split | PA | H | 2B | 3B | HR | BB | K | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| RHH | 419 | 99 | 21 | 0 | 12 | 39 | 93 | .269 | .345 | .424 |
| LHH | 424 | 77 | 14 | 2 | 14 | 46 | 94 | .206 | .296 | .366 |
2026 Pitch Usage (Spring Training and Regular Season)
| 4-sm | 2-sm | Cutter | Curve | Slider | Change | |
| Velo | 97.3 | 96.6 | 93.9 | 82.8 | 87.4 | 91.3 |
| Usage | 30% | 12% | 10% | 10% | 19% | 20% |
When and Where
- Game time: 2:35pm ET
- Where: Globe Life Field, Arlington, TX
- Watch: Reds MLB Channel, Reds.tv (in-market), MLB.tv (out of market). You can check your zip code here and find out who carries the Reds MLB Channel in your area if you are unsure.
- Listen: 700 WLW AM (Cincinnati area)
- Forecast: They have a retractable roof
News and Notes
Rhett Lowder…. has been really good
After throwing six shutout innings in last night’s win, Rhett Lowder’s ERA is 1.30 in his first eight starts of his career. That’s the lowest number by a Reds pitcher since 1913.
Rece Hinds did it again
The Louisville Bats have now played eight games. Yesterday they didn’t even finish the 6th inning before rain came through and made for an early finish. Still, despite the home club not getting to get all of the way through the final four innings at the plate, Rece Hinds picked up his 4th home run of the season. He went 1-2 with a walk in the game, raising his line on the season to .400/.500/.900 with six extra-base hits, seven walks, and eight strikeouts. His OPS is at an even 1.400. This spring with the Reds it was 1.414. Seems he feels like he never left Arizona.
A Non-Reds Note
Last night Los Angeles Angels outfielder Jo Adell may have had the most impressive defensive game in the history of baseball. He robbed the Seattle Mariners of three home runs in a game that the Angels won 1-0.
Division Standings
| Team | W | L | GB | Playoff Odds |
| Milwaukee | 6 | 2 | 0.0 | 54.4% |
| Cincinnati | 5 | 3 | 1.0 | 20.2% |
| Pittsburgh | 5 | 3 | 1.0 | 52.6% |
| St. Louis | 4 | 4 | 2.0 | 7.4% |
| Chicago | 3 | 4 | 2.5 | 45.4% |
| Playoff Odds via Fangraphs | ||||