Cincinnati Reds Minor League Game Review: April 12, 2024 - redsminorleagues.com (2024)

Cam Collier hit a clutch home run and Rhett Lowder pitched well in a Dayton Dragons win, Zach Maxwell continued his strong start to the year in Chattanooga, Dominic Pitelli remained red hot in Daytona, and Louisville got strong pitching in game two as they picked up a win and split a doubleheader.

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The Louisville Bats split a doubleheader

Game 1: 5-4 loss. Box Score

• Levi Jordan went 1-3 with a walk.
• Conner Capel went 1-3 with a walk and a home run (5).
• Rece Hinds went 0-1 with 2 walks and 2 runs.
• Hernan Perez went 1-3.
• Austin Wynns went 1-2 with a double and 3 RBI.
• Casey Legumina allowed a run in 2.0 innings with 2 strikeouts.
• Brooks Kriske threw 2.0 shutout innings with 2 walks and 3 strikeouts.
• Tony Santillan threw a hitless inning with a walk and 2 strikeouts.

Game 2: won 2-0. Box Score

• Levi Jordan went 1-2 with a walk, steal, and a run.
• Michael Trautwein went 1-3 with an RBI.
• Erik Gonzalez went 1-2 with a steal and a run.
• Randy Wynne threw 4.0 shutout innings with a walk and a strikeout.
• Stevie Branche threw 2.0 shutout innings with a walk and 2 strikeouts.
• Michael Byrne threw a perfect inning with 3 strikeouts.

Gameday Notes

Louisville managed just seven total hits between the two games, but it was enough to earn a split. In game two, neither team had a hit through three innings. The Bats broke through with a rally in the 6th of that game, getting a walk, two singles, and a sacrifice fly to scrape together two runs.

In game two only one batted ball went over 300 feet for either team and it was a 308 foot line out. Columbus pitchers didn’t throw a single pitch over 93.5 MPH in the game.

Lyon Richardson started game one for Louisville, but he once again struggled to throw strikes. His last time out he walked three batters and hit another one in just 1.2 innings. On Friday night he walked five batters in just 2.0 innings. In both games he threw more balls than he threw strikes.

Blake Dunn, who exited Wednesday’s game in the 7th inning in favor of a pinch hitter, did not start either game, but in game two he did come off of the bench to pinch run.

Top Pitch Velocity: Tony Santillan – 98.2 MPH (strike)

Top Exit Velocity:Conner Capel – 108.8 MPH (home run)

Furthest Hit Baseball: Conner Capel – 364 feet (home run)

The Chattanooga Lookouts lost 4-1. Box Score

• Miguel Hernandez went 1-4 with a run.
• Mat Nelson went 2-4.
• James Free went 0-2 with a walk and an RBI.
• Jose Torres went 1-3.
• Thomas Farr allowed a run in 5.0 innings with 2 strikeouts.
• Zach Maxwell threw 1.2 perfect innings with 3 strikeouts.

Game Notes

Zach Maxwell has struck out six of the eight batters he’s faced this season. He’s yet to walk a batter. Last season he walked 38 batters in 61.1 innings pitched. In 34 appearances he only went back-to-back outings without a walk three times.

Mat Nelson is hitting .333 with three walks in four games played so far this season.

Daniel Vellojin started the game at first base. That was his first start at the position with the Reds. Back in 2019 he played three innings there while with the Dominican Summer League Reds. Two winters ago he did play 12 games at first base with the Vaqueros in the Colombian Winter League.

The Lookouts remain winless. They are just one of two teams in minor league baseball this season, along with the 0-7 Delmarva Shorebirds.

The Dayton Dragons won 5-3. Box Score

• Ethan O’Donnell went 1-3 with 2 walks and a run.
• Sal Stewart went 1-4 with a walk and 3 runs.
• Cam Collier went 1-4 with a walk and 3-run home run (2).
• Hector Rodriguez went 3-5 with a double and an RBI.
• Ruben Ibarra went 1-5 with an RBI.
• Carlos Jorge went 1-5 with a triple.
• Rhett Lowder allowed a run in 5.0 innings with a walk and 5 strikeouts.
• Brock Bell allowed a run in 2.1 innings with a strikeout.
• Luis Mey threw a hitless inning with a walk and a strikeout.

Game Notes

T.J. Sikkema exited the game with what appeared to be a shoulder injury. When he was visited on the mound after the trainer and manager got out there he kind of grabbed at the back of his left shoulder. After a bit of a conversation he exited the game and was replaced on the mound.

Cam Collier helped fuel a comeback win. He was 0-3 with a walk entering the 9th inning and Dayton trailed 3-2. But Ethan O’Donnell and Sal Stewart both singled to start the inning before Collier unloaded on a 421-foot go-ahead home run on the first pitch he saw and put it over the wall in center.

Collier’s home run extended his hitting streak to nine games, dating back to 2023. He’s hitting .367/.387/.600 this year. His walk on Friday night was his first of the season.

Hector Rodriguez went hitless on Thursday, but he made up for it on Friday night by picking up three hits. He’s out to a torrid start and is hitting .440/.481/.720 on the season. In his 27 plate appearances he’s struck out just two times.

Rhett Lowder gave up his first run as a professional in the game. Through his two starts he’s thrown 9.0 innings and walked one batter and struck out five in each of his games. In those two starts he gotten 16 ground balls on 24 balls put in play. That’s a 67% ground ball rate for those who didn’t want to do that math. During his start on Friday night he topped out at 97 MPH and sat in the 93-96 range.

The Daytona Tortugas lost 4-0. Box Score

• Ariel Almonte went 1-4.
• Dominic Pitelli went 2-3 with a steal.
• Gabriel Aguilera was charged with an unearned run in 5.0 innings of relief with a walk and 5 strikeouts.

Game Notes

The Tortugas offense never could get going. They struck out 13 times on the night with just one walk and just three hits.

Two of those hits came off of the bat of Dominic Pitelli. That extended his hitting streak to eight games dating back to last season. Through six games this year he’s hitting .500/.519/.923 with four steals.

Gabriel Aguilera rebounded well from his first outing of the season where he walked five batters in just 2.2 innings. He threw eight fewer pitches and three more strikes on Friday night in 5.0 innings than he had in his first outing of the season.

Top 25 Prospects Rundown

4/13 Game Preview