Reds at Padres
The Cincinnati Reds attempt to continue their turnaround on the road when they visit the San Diego Padres on Saturday for the third contest of their four-game series. Cincinnati outlasted the Padres 3-2 in 11 innings on Friday for its second straight road win after losing its first seven of the season away from home.
Derek Dietrich snapped a 1-1 tie in the top of the 11th with a two-run homer for the Reds, who improved to 2-3 on their seven-game trek. Eugenio Suarez went deep in the first inning for Cincinnati, which registered a total of four hits. The Padres also managed only a quartet of hits in the pitchers' duel, including Fernando Tatis Jr.'s third home run in six games. San Diego has suffered five straight losses following a four-game winning streak, scoring fewer than three runs in each of its last four setbacks.
TV: 8:40 p.m. ET, FS Ohio (Cincinnati), FS San Diego
PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds RH Luis Castillo (1-1, 1.46 ERA) vs. Padres LH Eric Lauer (2-2, 4.91)
Castillo settled for a no-decision on Monday as he allowed two runs on four hits and five walks in five innings against the Dodgers in Los Angeles. The 26-year-old Dominican has issued 13 free passes over 24 2/3 frames this season but also has registered 32 strikeouts - at least seven in each of his four turns. Castillo has yet to defeat San Diego in his career, going 0-2 with a 5.17 ERA in three starts.
Lauer will be making his fifth start of the season and first against a non-division opponent, as both of his victories came against San Francisco while each of his two losses came at the hands of Arizona. The 23-year-old native of Ohio is coming off a road loss to the Diamondbacks on Sunday in which he gave up three runs and eight hits over five innings. Lauer made two starts against Cincinnati as a rookie last year, going 1-0 while allowing one run and registering 12 strikeouts over nine frames.
WALK-OFFS
1. Padres 3B Manny Machado has hit safely in seven of his last eight games after recording two of his team's four hits on Friday.
2. Suarez has gone 2-for-19 over the first five games of Cincinnati's road trip.
3. San Diego placed Manuel Margot on the paternity list prior to Friday's contest and recalled fellow OF Jose Pirela from Triple-A El Paso.