Martinez (4-5) allowed one hit over two scoreless innings to earn the victory Friday against the Rays. He struck out two.
Martinez entered a tied game in the eighth and pitched two scoreless innings before the Reds took the lead in the top of the 10th and Alexis Diaz closed out the win on Friday. Martinez now has two wins in his last four appearances, and all four of his wins this season have all come in relief. The 33-year-old veteran has a 3.77 ERA in 74 innings in the swingman role for the Reds this season.
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Reds' Alexis Diaz: Picks up 20th save
Rotowire
Diaz picked up the save Friday against the Rays, striking out one in a clean ninth inning.
Diaz entered a game in a save situation for the first time since July 3rd and pitched around the inherited runner to grab the save on Friday. Diaz became the 12th reliever with 20 saves this season as he has now converted in each of his last 13 save opportunities. The 27-year-old has pitched to a 4.34 ERA through 37.1 innings this season.
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Reds' Nick Lodolo: Strikes out five in no-decision
Rotowire
Lodolo allowed two runs on five hits and one walk while striking out five batters over 6.2 innings in a no-decision against the Rays on Friday.
Lodolo allowed two runs in the second inning but otherwise went unscathed into the seventh inning on Friday's no-decision. Lodolo had struggled over his last four starts, pitching to a 6.05 ERA in his last 19.1 innings, so it was good he got back on track with another quality start. It was Lodolo's eighth quality start in his 16th appearance of the campaign. The 26-year-old has eight wins and a 3.45 ERA with a 1.11 WHIP through 91.1 innings this season.
The Reds optioned Hinds to Triple-A Louisville on Friday, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Hinds made headlines when he homered five times in his first six major-league games, but he went just 1-for-16 with a 5:0 K:BB in four contests since then and had started only one of the last three games. The 23-year-old is clearing out to make room on the roster for the return of TJ Friedl from the injured list.
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Reds' TJ Friedl: Returns from IL
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The Reds activated Friedl (hamstring) from the 10-day injured list Friday, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Freidl missed a little over a month with a strained right hamstring but is ready to go after playing a few rehab games. The 28-year-old has been limited to only 26 contests this season due to injury but will regain his role as the Reds' regular center fielder, at least versus right-handed pitching.
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Reds' Lyon Richardson: Optioned to Triple-A
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The Reds optioned Richardson to Triple-A Louisville on Thursday.
Richardson did not make an appearance during his brief time in the majors this week. The right-hander will now slide back into the Louisville rotation, where he has a 4.29 ERA and 1.52 WHIP over 77.2 innings this season.
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Reds' Noelvi Marte: Plates two in win
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Marte went 1-for-5 with a double and two RBI in Wednesday's 9-4 win over Atlanta.
Marte joined the Reds' party with a two-run double in the fourth inning. The struggling third baseman, who is batting .181 since he completed his 80-game PED suspension, has hit safely in four straight games (4-for-17).
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Reds' Spencer Steer: Drives in three in win
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Steer went 3-for-5 with two doubles, a triple, three RBI and two runs scored in Wednesday's 9-4 win over Atlanta.
Steer bookended Cincinnati's scoring. He drove in the Reds' first run with a first-inning triple then doubled home the team's eighth and ninth runs in the fourth. The three RBI gave him a team-leading 64 for the season, which ranks 18th in MLB.
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Reds' Elly De La Cruz: Big day in Wednesday's win
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De La Cruz went 3-for-5 with a solo home run, two additional runs scored and two stolen bases in Wednesday's 9-4 win over Atlanta.
After singling and swiping his 50th bag of the season in the first inning, De La Cruz took Allan Winans deep in the third for his 18th long ball. The 22-year-old shortstop did commit two more errors in wet conditions, giving him 20 on the year, but that's about the only blemish on his season so far. In addition to leading the majors with 51 steals, De La Cruz has an 11-game hit streak going in which he's batting .378 (17-for-45) with five doubles, a triple and three homers.
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Reds' Frankie Montas: Falls shot of win Wednesday
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Montas came away with a no-decision in Wednesday's 9-4 win over Atlanta, giving up four runs on 10 hits and three walks over 4.1 innings. He struck out six.
The Reds scored four times in the top of the first inning and all the scoring in the game was done by the fourth, but Montas wasn't efficient enough to qualify for the win, getting the hook after 101 pitches (68 strikes). The right-hander has been tagged for at least four runs in three straight outings, a stretch that has seen his ERA rise from 4.19 to 5.01, and he's issued multiple free passes in five straight starts and nine of his last 10. He'll try to turn things around in his next trip to the mound, which lines up to come at home early next week against the Cubs.
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Reds' Nick Martinez: Cincinnati-Atlanta postponed
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Martinez and Cincinnati won't face Atlanta in the final contest of Wednesday's doubleheader after the game was postponed due to inclement weather.
Martinez was initially scheduled to start Tuesday. However, rainouts on consecutive days will keep him from making his first start since May 22. With an off day on tap Thursday, the Reds will likely elect to skip Martinez's turn in the rotation until a fifth starter is next needed July 30 versus the Cubs. The Reds could get Carson Spiers (shoulder) back from the injured list to start that game, in which case Martinez would likely continue to work out of the bullpen.
Reds' Santiago Espinal: Checks into lineup for nightcap
Rotowire
Espinal will start at second base and bat eighth in the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader versus Atlanta.
Espinal has now picked up just two starts in the Reds' six games since the All-Star break. He saw an uptick in playing time to close out the second half while Jonathan India managed a knee contusion, but Espinal has shifted back into a utility role now that India has seemingly moved past the injury.
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Reds' Will Benson: Resting for nightcap
Rotowire
Benson is out of the lineup for the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader with Atlanta.
The lefty-hitting Benson will head to the bench for the second game of the day while southpaw Chris Sale takes the hill for Atlanta. Stuart Fairchild will enter the starting nine in center field in place of Benson, who went 1-for-4 with a double in Cincinnati's 9-4 win in the first game of the day.
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Reds' Jake Fraley: Getting rest in nightcap
Rotowire
Fraley is out of the lineup for the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader against Atlanta.
With a tough lefty (Chris Sale) on the bump for Atlanta, the lefty-hitting Fraley will retreat to the bench for the nightcap. Austin Slater will pick up a start in the corner outfield in place of Fraley, who went 3-for-5 with a two-run home run -- his second of the season -- and a stolen base in Cincinnati's 9-4 win in the first game of the day.
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Reds' Tyler Stephenson: Sitting out nightcap
Rotowire
Stephenson is not in the lineup for the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader in Atlanta.
Stephenson went 1-for-3 with two walks and two runs while catching all nine innings of the Reds' 9-4 win in the first game of the day, so his absence from the lineup from the nightcap is expected. Austin Wynns will start behind the plate for the Reds in Game 2.
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Reds' Yosver Zulueta: Returns to majors
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The Reds recalled Zulueta from Triple-A Louisville on Wednesday, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
The 26-year-old has allowed one run over four innings covering two relief appearances for the Reds this season. Zulueta will give Cincinnati another middle-relief option.
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Reds' Lyon Richardson: Back as 27th man
Rotowire
The Reds recalled Richardson from Triple-A Louisville on Wednesday, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Richardson was recalled ahead of Tuesday's game against Atlanta before being optioned to Triple-A after the contest was postponed. However, he never actually left the club and now will be temporarily added back to the active roster as the 27th man for Wednesday's doubleheader in Atlanta. Richardson is a good bet to eat some innings after Nick Martinez in the second game of the twin bill before the Reds send him back to Louisville.
