Following six scoreless innings from lefty Nick Lodolo in a 1-0 win over the Giants Tuesday night at Oracle Park, Cincinnati now boasts the best rotation ERA (2.52) and WHIP (0.87) in Major League Baseball.
Lodolo’s own ERA is down to an impressive 0.96, having surrendered just two earned runs over 18 2/3 innings in his first three starts.
“We’re in a great spot,” Lodolo said of the rotation’s performance. “We’ve got confidence that any one of us can go out there and give the team a chance to win.”
The victory had a familiar feel to Monday night’s game, where Hunter Greene delivered 8 2/3 shutout innings in a 2-0 win. If the Reds can shut out San Francisco again in Wednesday’s series finale, they’d tie a franchise record with three consecutive shutouts—something they’ve done only three times (1908, 1962, and 1963).
Manager Terry Francona highlighted how rare it is to see so many low-scoring games so early in the season.
“We’ve already played four 1-0 games—pretty wild this early,” said Francona. (The Reds are 1-3 in those contests.)
According to Elias Sports Bureau, the last team to play four 1-0 games in an eight-game stretch was the Cardinals in July 1992.
Reflecting on Tuesday’s narrow win, Francona said, “We didn’t exactly light up the scoreboard. We had chances, didn’t always capitalize, but we pitched extremely well.”
The Reds’ lone run came in the third inning off Giants rookie Landen Roupp: Spencer Steer doubled, Jake Fraley singled, and Jose Trevino brought home Steer with a groundout.
Lodolo largely silenced the Giants’ offense, though he got a big assist from Fraley, who made a tough running catch in right-center to rob Heliot Ramos and end the fifth inning with the tying run stranded at third.
“This place is tough with how the wind swirls,” Fraley said. “Balls do strange things here, but that one stayed on track.”
“That catch by Fraley, man, that saved the game,” Lodolo added. “And the bullpen—Ashcraft was huge, two big innings, and Emilio Pagán closed it out.”
Ashcraft covered the seventh and eighth, while Pagán shut down the heart of San Francisco’s lineup in the ninth to seal the win.
“Big-time stuff from Ashcraft,” said Francona. “Two innings in that part of the game is a big ask, and he delivered. He stayed calm, pounded the zone. He’s becoming a real asset for us.”
Trevino, behind the plate, has had a front-row seat to the rotation’s early dominance.
“These guys want the ball in big moments,” said the catcher. “They trust their stuff, trust me, and believe in what we’re doing.”
Pagán credited the team’s overall preparation and belief in each other.
“We’ve got tons of talent and confidence to match,” he said. “Our coaching staff prepares us well, and our catchers have been outstanding. It’s a great environment.”
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