Padres at Reds
Cincinnati right fielder Aristides Aquino tries to break out of the first slump in his brief career when the Reds host the San Diego Padres on Tuesday in the middle contest of their three-game series. Aquino, who became the first rookie since 1900 to hit 11 home runs in his first 17 games, is 2-for-16 in his last four contests - both homers - after going 0-for-3 with two strikeouts in Monday's 3-1 loss to San Diego.
The Padres have won three straight games - all on the road - and are one win shy of matching a season high for consecutive victories on the road while Cincinnati has dropped seven of nine. Second baseman Freddy Galvis on Monday went 2-for-4 with a home run and is 11-for-25 with two homers, four RBIs and five runs scored in seven games since joining the Reds. San Diego rookie Cal Quantrill takes the ball Tuesday after going 4-1 with a 1.31 ERA in his last six games (five starts) and opposes Sonny Gray, who owns an 18-inning scoreless streak over his last three outings. “He’s throwing so many strikes. I think that keeps guys on the defensive from the start,” Reds catcher Tucker Barnhart told reporters about Gray. “Obviously, everybody knows how good his breaking ball is. From a hitter’s perspective, when you’re facing him, you don’t want to get behind. When he’s able to get ahead like that, he’s able to put you away pretty quickly."
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FS San Diego, FS Ohio (Cincinnati)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Padres RH Cal Quantrill (6-3, 3.23 ERA) vs. Reds RH Sonny Gray (8-6, 2.98)
Quantrill allowed two runs and three hits with four strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings while throwing a career-high 108 pitches in Wednesday's 7-2 victory over Tampa Bay. The 24-year-old Canadian has lost just once in his last 14 outings (nine starts), lowing his ERA by 2.17. Quantrill has struck out 61 against 19 walks this season - 25 and six in his last six appearances over 34 1/3 innings.
Gray permitted seven hits and 11 walks with 24 strikeouts in his last three starts (2-0). The 29-year-old Tennessee native, who boasts a 1.12 WHIP and 2.06 batting average against this season, is 5-1 with a 1.59 ERA in his last nine outings. Gray has never faced San Diego, but Manny Machado is 8-for-24 with a home run, two doubles and six RBIs against the former Athletic and Yankee as an Oriole.
WALK-OFFS
1. Cincinnati SS Jose Iglesias went 1-for-4 on Monday to extend his hitting streak to 14 games - four shy of his career-best 18-game run in 2013.
2. Padres 1B Eric Hosmer went 0-for-4 on Monday, snapping a seven-game hitting streak during which he was 13-for-29 with a home run, four RBIs and five runs scored.
3. Reds OF Jesse Winker on Monday missed his fifth straight start because of upper back spasms.