Through their eight-year run of dominance, the Houston Astros have had a kryptonite of sorts.
The Cincinnati Reds have defeated the Astros seven straight times. Houston hasn’t beaten Cincinnati since 2016, the year before the first of its two World Series titles.
That includes Monday’s 5-3 Cincinnati victory in the opener of a three-game series in Cincinnati. Following an unusual scheduled off-day Tuesday, the series resumes Wednesday.
Cincinnati swept the Astros in 2019 at Great American Ball Park and then again last season in Houston. The Reds are 11-2 in the last 13 meetings with the Astros.
Before Monday’s win, the Reds hadn’t pulled off consecutive victories this season since Aug. 11-14, when they won four straight.
Leading the way for the Reds has been Santiago Espinal, the infielder acquired just before the season to account for the loss of Matt McLain to left shoulder surgery. No one is hotter in all of baseball than the Reds’ versatile infielder.
Since July 8, Espinal is batting a major league-best .419 (44-for-105) to raise his average to .270 entering Wednesday’s game. The 2022 All-Star with Toronto had the tiebreaking two-run single in Monday’s win.
“I’m glad they gave me an opportunity here,” Espinal said. “I’m taking advantage. I feel like it comes from my preparation. Being ready to play, that’s all it is.”
Kyle Tucker could finally be ready to rejoin the Astros after he and the team confirmed that he suffered a small fracture after fouling a ball off his right shin on June 3.
“After the swelling and everything calmed down, the continued imaging revealed there was a little fracture in my shin,” Tucker said. “I just focused on my rehab from there. Hopefully, I can get back in games in the next couple days.”
Tucker is hopeful to return later this week after work on Monday in Cincinnati that included running, swings and outfield drills.
Houston manager Joe Espada said Tucker ran close to maximum speed with no issues on Monday.
When he does return, he’ll be joining a much-improved team. Houston was just 27-34 and seven games out of first place at the time of Tucker’s injury on June 3. The Astros are an AL-best 48-29 since then. Tucker earned his third All-Star selection this season on the strength of a strong start, batting .266 with 19 home runs, 40 RBIs and 10 steals.
The Astros send rookie right-hander Spencer Arrighetti (7-11, 4.63 ERA) to the mound Wednesday, making his 25th start of the season and trying to build off an overpowering effort against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Last Wednesday in Philadelphia, Arrighetti took a no-hitter into the eighth inning before allowing a leadoff single. He finished his outing with 7 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing two hits and four walks to go with his 11 strikeouts and running his active scoreless innings streak to 14 1/3 innings.
The rookie, making his first career start against Cincinnati, ranks fourth in the AL in strikeouts per nine innings (10.9), fanning 151 hitters in 124 1/3 innings.
The Reds counter with right-hander Nick Martinez (6-6, 3.78), making his 12th start of the season. Martinez made six starts in August and has been one of the few reliable options in the Cincinnati rotation with injuries to Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo and Andrew Abbott.
Martinez allowed seven hits — including two homers — and four runs over 5 1/3 innings in his last outing, a start in Game 1 of last Friday’s day-night doubleheader against Milwaukee.
Martinez is making his ninth career start and 14th career appearance against Houston, posting a 3-4 record with a 4.13 ERA.
