The Reds’ path to contention this year is dependent on a lot of quality innings from those two pitchers. To maximize their ability to contribute, Greene and Lodolo are focused on being even more efficient and pitching deeper into games than they have in previous seasons.
“I’m not getting to two strikes as much to put guys away, which is different from the way I’d typically pitch,” Lodolo said. “But I’ll take it. The name of the game is to get as deep as possible into the game and get some quick outs.”
When Greene and Lodolo debuted in 2022, they were strikeout artists. On the days where their sliders were really working, they’d give the Reds five strong innings. On the days where their sliders were off, the Reds would lose more often than not.
In an effort to be more consistent, Greene and Lodolo have been refining their third pitches over the last three years. On Monday, as Greene threw 8 ⅔ shutout innings in a win over the Giants, his splitter was as productive as it has ever been.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
“All your pitches have to be working,” Greene said. “It’s good to be on the same page with (catcher Jose Trevino) tonight. Fantastic job by him to call the right pitches. Obviously I had to execute them. He made it really easy.”
Greene’s splitter gives him an important tool against left-handed hitters. Since that pitch moves in the opposite direction of his slider, it’s effective at keeping left-handed hitters off-balanced early in counts.With two off-speed pitches to think about instead of one, Greene has more ways to set up his 100 mph fastball. Now, he’s finishing batters with fastballs that he’ll locate in any quadrant of the strike zone.
The plan doesn’t work without his improved splitter.
“He’s really good at locating the fastball and can put it where he wants,” Trevino said. “He can really move the ball. It’s just about getting (the ball) to good spots.”
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Lodolo is using his changeup a lot more this year, and that pitch has never looked better from him.
“It has more break than his sinker, for sure,” Trevino said. “Guys see it as a sinker and roll over the top of it. There’s a great ground ball rate on it right now.”
With Lodolo getting more groundouts early in counts, he has pitched at least six innings in all three of his starts so far.
Reds manager Terry Francona views the rotation as the strength of the team, and he wants to give pitchers like Greene and Lodolo opportunities to pitch into the seventh inning and beyond. When the game is on the line, he wants the ball in the hands of his best players.
FRIDAY’S GAME
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