Go, Reds?
The Chicago White Sox lost an MLB-record 121 games during the most recently completed regular season, and they followed that up by dealing ace Garrett Crochet to the Boston Red Sox over the winter.
They’re bad. They’re rebuilding. They’ve already won the series in Great American Ball Park against the waffling Cincinnati Reds, and they’ve got a chance to sweep it with a win there on Thursday.
What’s standing in their way? Nick Martinez is on the bump for the Reds, though he has struggled mightily when tasked with going through any lineup more than twice. The Cincinnati offense, meanwhile, has been the single worst home offense so far this year (by wRC+), the otherwise ‘friendly’ confines of GABP instead being a massive roadblock for any Reds offense.
A loss by the Reds today would dip them 5 games under the .500 mark, which is wholly unacceptable given how goddamn long they are into the latest edition of the nonstop rebuild. That’s the kind of underwater mark that puts Martinez closer and closer to the ‘July trade chip’ conversation than anywhere else, frankly.
First pitch is coming up at 12:40 PM ET. Lineups below!