Reds Rotation for the Playoff series against the announced Dodgers – Redleg Nation

The Cincinnati Reds announced that Hunter Greene would start on Monday afternoon on the Dodgers in Los Angeles against the Dodgers in Los Angeles. No one was surprised because it was the full basis of the movements that were not made in the last week of the season that led to Greene being set up to open the play -offs. But where the team went in the rotation after its start in Game One was unknown. Manager Terry Francona said the media late on Monday evening that they would go with Zack Littell in game two and if necessary Andrew Abbott would be on the hill for game three. Nick Lodolo, who threw out on Sunday from the Bullpen, stays in the Bullpen for the series. This was first reported by Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer.

We spoke about Hunter Greenee earlier on Monday when it was announced that he would be the starter for the first game. Now let’s see how Zack Littell and Andrew Abbott have lately done against the Dodgers.

For Zack Littell it is actually very simple – he has not thrown against the Dodgers since the 2022 season when he was still at the San Francisco Giants. Looking at those games is not very useful for many reasons – the time that was assumed, the fact that he still threw out of the bullpen, etc. at the time.

It is even easier for Andrew Abbott. Somehow he never confronted with the Los Angeles Dodgers in his career. 75 starts in his career and somehow avoid pitching against a team in the same competition in which he is located.

Andrew Abbott should pitch in a short rest to pitch in Game Two on Wednesday, but rest less on a day of rest, if not completely unheard of in the play -offs, even nowadays when pitchers are treated much more often with children’s gloves. Going with the man in Littell who gave up 36 home runs (2nd most in baseball) and an ERA of 4.39 with the Reds after being acquired during the Trading Deadline on Abbott and his 2.87 ERA on a short rest could be one of those coins-flip situations, but it feels like you want to roll the Dice on the better Pitcher.

Nick Lodolo, however, getting away from the starters in the bullpen is interesting. He has never really been a relief pitcher. And it is almost a certainty that he will not throw in all three games if there are three games to throw in. Maybe you don’t even see him in back-to-back games considering his background as a starter. But he definitely gives you a matchup nightmare against a Lefty or two if you are in the right situation to use it. And that is something that the bullpen don’t really have without him.