Cincinnati Reds Look to Salvage a Split With Nick Martinez on the Mound vs. Pirates

If the Cincinnati Reds (63-67) can do what they did last night, they should be in good position to stack some wins. However, they haven't had back-to-back 10+ hit days since their run of four in a row at the beginning of the month. The team is 6-15 on Sundays this year so they'll have to buck that trend to get to tomorrow's off-day with another win.

Starter-turned-bullpen-turned-starter-again Nick Martinez (6-6, 3.64 ERA) takes the hill for his 10th start on the year. In his nine previous stars, Martinez is 1-4 with a 5.63 ERA and 1.354 WHIP. As a reliever, he's 5-2 with a 1.86 ERA and 0.863 WHIP.

However, with all of the injuries to the rotation, he's being asked to take another turn. It'll be his second start with just four days' rest. Last outing, he was roughed up a bit to the tune of six hits and three walks for six runs.

Surprisingly, it's a fairly normal lineup for the Reds on Sunday:

1.) 2B Jonathan India
2.) SS Elly De La Cruz
3.) C Tyler Stephenson
4.) CF TJ Friedl
5.) LF Spencer Steer
6.) RF Santiago Espinal
7.) 1B Dominic Smith
8.) DH Amed Rosario
9.) 3B Noelvi Marte
SP Nick Martinez

The Reds are 55-39 when Stephenson starts. This is his ninth Sunday start out of 22 Sunday games.

The Pirates are trying to take three of four and will throw 25-year-old righty, Luis Ortiz (5-4, 3.56 ERA). Ortiz started off the season as a bullpen arm but has made nine starts to date. He started off well, throwing 24 2/3 innings in his first four starts with a 0.730 ERA.

Over his last five starts, however, the Pirates have lost all five with him taking the loss in each. Ortiz threw 27 1/3 innings in that time with a 6.26 ERA and his last outing was a six-inning start and he allowed four runs off five hits and a walk.

His first start on the year was against the Reds on June 26. He tossed six innings of one-run baseball as he led his team to a win.

The Pirates lineup is also business as usual:

1.) 3B Isiah Kiner-Falefa
2.) LF Bryan Reynolds
3.) SS Oneil Cruz
4.) DH Joey Bart
5.) 1B Rowdy Tellez
6.) RF Bryan De La Cruz
7.)  C Yasmani Grandal
8.) 2B Alika Williams
9.) CF Michael A. Taylor
SP Luiz Ortiz