The visiting Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves aren’t going to get the early exit they expected for a getaway day on Wednesday. Bad weather got in the way, and instead the teams will play a doubleheader.
Heavy rains pelted Atlanta and caused the postponement of the scheduled Tuesday game. That created the need for a split doubleheader, the second one this week for the Braves.
The pitching matchup for the first game features a pair of right-handers — Cincinnati’s Frankie Montas (4-8, 4.85 ERA) and Atlanta’s Allan Winans (0-1, 10.80).
The starters for the nightcap will be Atlanta ace Chris Sale (13-3, 2.70) and Cincinnati’s Nick Martinez (3-5, 3.88), who will make his first start since May 22.
Montas is getting mentioned in trade rumors for teams that seek pitching at next week’s deadline. In five June starts, he limited the opposition to a .189 batting average and a 3.55 ERA. However, his stock may have dropped after he lost his last two outings while allowing a total of 12 runs on 14 hits over 11 2/3 innings
In his latest outing, on Friday against the Miami Marlins, Montas pitched 4 2/3 innings and surrendered seven runs on six hits — two of them homers — with three walks and three strikeouts.
He will be making his first career appearance against the Braves.
Winans will be recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett for the start. He has made one appearance for the Braves this season, when he gave up seven runs, six earned, in five innings during a start against the New York Mets on April 11. Winans made 15 appearances, 13 starts, for Gwinnett, going 4-3 with a 2.74 ERA.
The right-hander started six games for Atlanta last year, lasting at least five innings four times and going 1-2 with a 5.29 ERA. His best effort was a seven-inning scoreless stint against the Mets. Winans has never opposed the Reds.
Martinez has made 28 appearances, five of them starts, this season. He has logged three consecutive scoreless outings, most recently tossing one inning against the Marlins on July 14. He is 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA in four career games (three starts) against the Braves.
Sale will be going for his fourth straight victory. In his latest start on July 14, he beat the San Diego Padres, pitching five innings and allowing one run on four hits and two walks with four strikeouts. It was the 10th time in 18 starts that he had allowed one run or none.
“I love everything about him,” Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said. “The person, the teammate, the player, how he’s fit in here. He’s been awesome.”
Sale has opposed the Reds just once, when he allowed one run in 3 2/3 innings during a no-decision for the Boston Red Sox on June 1, 2023.
Cincinnati recalled right-hander Lyon Richardson from Triple-A Louisville on Tuesday and optioned right-hander Casey Legumina. Richardson, 1-6 with a 4.43 ERA for Louisville, is expected to work in long relief and possibly start. He went 0-2 with a 8.64 ERA in four starts for Cincinnati last season.
“I feel like everything is starting to tighten up and come together,” Richardson said. “I think we made pretty good progress over the last couple of starts and we were working toward this (promotion) as the goal. I feel really good.”
The Braves will be without third baseman Austin Riley, who is on the paternity list after the birth of his second son on Tuesday. He will rejoin the team in New York on Thursday for the series opener against the Mets. Luke Williams was recalled from Gwinnett to replace Riley on the roster.
–Field Level Media
