Tyler Stephenson on roll as Reds open collection vs. Marlins

Tyler Stephenson has been on a tear at the plate for the Cincinnati Reds this week and he’ll try to keep it going in the opener of a three-game series on Friday evening against the visiting Miami Marlins.

Stephenson homered twice and drove in five runs in an 8-1 win against the visiting Colorado Rockies on Thursday afternoon, helping Cincinnati take three of four in the series.

Stephenson has four home runs and three doubles in his past three games.

“It’s an up-and-down season and you’ve got to try to be as confident during the lows,” Stephenson said. “(Friday’s) a new day though. It’s going to be full of challenges, so you’ve got to come out and finish this thing off before the (All-Star) break, and I hope we win another series.”

Stephenson went on paternity leave on June 27 and returned on July 2 following the birth of his daughter.

After going 3-for-20 in the first six games following his return, Stephenson went 3-for-5 with two doubles and a home run in a 12-6 win against the Rockies on Tuesday. The following night, he doubled and homered in a 6-5 loss to Colorado.

“He wasn’t with us for a few days and everything, so you never know how that can affect him,” Reds manager David Bell said. “And even when he wasn’t getting hits, when he first came back, he looked really close. So, he just continued to work at it and made some small adjustments.”

Another player to watch this weekend is Reds right fielder Rece Hinds, who went 2-for-4 on Thursday and is 8-for-16 in his first four major league games.

Miami is coming off a 6-3 loss to the Houston Astros on Thursday evening that completed a three-game sweep.

The Marlins will try to turn things around on Friday in the series opener behind right-hander Yonny Chirinos.

Chirinos (0-0, 4.19 ERA) has gone five innings in three of his four starts since he was recalled from Triple-A Jacksonville and made his season debut on June 19.

He has yet to earn a decision, but Miami won three of those four outings.

Chirinos most recently allowed three runs and six hits in five innings of a 4-3 win against the Chicago White Sox last Saturday.

“He kept the ball on the ground,” Miami manager Skip Schumaker said of Chirinos. “He had 80 percent first-pitch strikes, his slider was super-effective today, which I thought kept the ball off the barrel.”

Chirinos said through a translator that he accomplished his goal of attacking the strike zone and forcing the White Sox to put the ball in play.

“Most important of all, you get to learn from your mistakes,” Chirinos said. “That keeps you in the game a little longer. It’s a learning experience.”

Chirinos’ only experience against the Reds was 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief on April 18, 2023, when he played for the Tampa Bay Rays.

Carson Spiers (2-2, 3.64) is scheduled to start on the mound for the Reds in the series opener.

The right-hander will also be making his fifth major league start of the season to go along with five relief appearances.

Spiers won two in a row before losing his last outing. He allowed four runs and eight hits in 4 2/3 innings of a 5-4 loss to the Detroit Tigers last Friday.

He has not faced Miami in his two-year career.

–Field Level Media