PITTSBURGH -- Reds starter Nick Lodolo’s numbers while pitching on the road this season are that of a bona fide ace.
Entering his Monday night start with a 1.44 ERA over five outings away from Great American Ball Park, the 6-foot-6 left-hander kept his trend of road dominance going against the Pirates. Lodolo (4-4) struck out seven batters over six innings of one-run ball in Cincinnati’s 7-1 series-opening victory against Pittsburgh at PNC Park. It was the Reds' fifth straight win and got them over .500 on the season at 25-24.
“I felt good,” Lodolo said. “I was jumping ahead, I was getting to two strikes and, you know, just making pitches when I needed to. … I was finishing guys.
“So, when I’m able to do that, it definitely makes my job a lot easier. A lot easier said than done. … I was kind of moving the ball around better than I think that I had the last couple starts.”
Lodolo allowed a two-out RBI double to Joey Bart in the first inning but escaped the jam a batter later with a strikeout of Alexander Canario. The southpaw had full command of his outing from then on.
After striking out the side in the first, Lodolo recorded at least one punchout in each of his next three innings. He retired the final seven batters he faced and departed after having thrown an efficient 89 pitches (60 strikes), including just 13 in the sixth inning.
Lodolo’s sinker was as effective as it's been all season and was used as a putaway pitch for several key outs during his outing. He said his delivery of the pitch has been a point of emphasis for him in recent weeks.
“Yeah, [my sinker] felt good,” Lodolo said. “Directionally, I was lined up to the plate a lot better, something we’ve been working on a little bit -- not just with that, just overall. I think that’s one thing that kind of helped me today.”
“He was good. He was very good,” Reds manager Terry Francona said. “And we were thinking about sending him back out [for the seventh inning], but I think he had kind of had it. You don't want to ask for too much.”
Working ahead and limiting walks has been key in Lodolo’s return to form this season. His 4.1 walk percentage entering Monday ranks in the 93rd percentile across MLB and is by far the lowest mark of his career, down significantly from 7.5 percent last season. He walked just one hitter on Monday. Additionally, Lodolo’s 33.9 chase percentage entering the day puts him in the 90th percentile across the league and is also a career high.
It’s been a much different story for Lodolo when pitching at home this season. He’s averaging just 5 1/3 innings over his four starts there, and opposing batters are hitting .303 off of him. His home splits are bogged down by a rough May 3 start against the Nationals in which he allowed six earned runs on 10 hits in 5 1/3 frames.
Lodolo and the rest of Cincinnati’s rotation have had to pick up some slack over the past couple of weeks as the team’s No. 1 starter, Hunter Greene, recovers from a right groin strain. Right-hander Rhett Lowder, the Reds’ No. 2 prospect and first-round pick in 2023, also hasn't pitched at the big league level this season as he deals with right elbow discomfort. Veteran southpaw Wade Miley (Tommy John surgery) and righty Carson Spiers (right shoulder impingement) are both battling injuries as well.
With Greene scheduled to return to action at home against Chicago on Friday and Andrew Abbott fully healthy after an early-season left shoulder rotator cuff sprain, Cincinnati's rotation will soon feel complete for the first time in a while.
“It’s going to be huge when we get [Greene] back, you know?” Lodolo said. “He’s one of the best pitchers in the game, if not the best. … I was saying earlier, we’re playing good ball as a team, so yeah, when you add a guy like that back into it, it’s definitely not going to hurt.”