Diamondbacks at Reds
O/U 9.5 · RL Diamondbacks -1.5 · Great American Ball Park
Diamondbacks ML-146
CONF 82%
LLostFinal 1-2
The read
Great American Ball Park is bathed in afternoon sun as the Cincinnati Reds host the Arizona Diamondbacks in a pivotal National League clash where starting pitching consistency meets a bullpen in crisis.
The game hinges on a massive starting pitching mismatch. Arizona’s Michael Soroka enters with an 8-3 record and a 3.28 ERA. Soroka is dominant against right-handed hitters, holding them to a .183 average and .510 OPS. This plays perfectly against a right-heavy Cincinnati lineup starting seven righty or switch-hitters. On the other side, Reds rookie Rhett Lowder is in a complete command crisis, issuing 13 walks over his last 7.1 innings. Lowder relies heavily on a sinker with a dangerous .480 xwOBA, which disciplined Diamondbacks hitters like Corbin Carroll and Ketel Marte are primed to punish, especially as Lowder struggles to find the zone.
The best case for the Reds lies in GABP’s hitter-friendly dimensions and Soroka’s fly-ball profile (0.81 GO/AO). In warm 81°F weather, fly balls carry easily, and Soroka is slightly overperforming his 3.95 xERA. However, Soroka's elite command keeps bases clean, whereas Lowder’s walks guarantee traffic. The market is overpaying for the Reds at +124, ignoring that their bullpen is in a state of collapse. Posting a 5.13 ERA since May 1, the Cincinnati relief corps is severely depleted, with Emilio Pagan unavailable and scheduled for a hamstring MRI today.
Arizona also holds a distinct edge in defense and roster health. The Diamondbacks have been fundamentally sound, committing only 26 errors compared to Cincinnati's 33. The return of Jordan Lawlar, who delivered the game-winning hit in his season debut yesterday, adds immediate energy. Backed by a healthy late-inning bullpen featuring Paul Sewald, the Diamondbacks are the superior team in every phase.
Injuries noted
Reds: [NEW] Emilio Pagan (RP) — Hamstring (Left): Pagan (hamstring) is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Saturday, MLB.com reports. (Jun 13 — 0d ago) [NEW] Elly De La Cruz (SS) — Hamstring (Right): Reds manager Terry Francona said Friday that an MRI showed De La Cruz's right hamstring strain to be 90 percent healed, Charlie Clifford of NBC 5 Cincinnati reports. (Jun 12 — 0d ago) [KNOWN] Jose Trevino (C) — Hamstring (Left): Trevino (hamstring) will make one final rehab appearance for Triple-A Louisville before being activated Friday, MLB.com reports. (Jun 9 — 4d ago) [KNOWN] Pierce Johnson (RP) — Elbow (Right): Johnson (elbow) is expected to toss a bullpen session Tuesday, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports. (Jun 7 — 6d ago) [KNOWN] Hunter Greene (Starting Pitcher) — Elbow (Right): Reds manager Terry Francona told reporters Saturday that Greene (elbow) could return from the 60-day injured list prior to the All-Star break, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports. (Jun 6 — 7d ago) [KNOWN] Graham Ashcraft (RP) — Elbow (Right): Ashcraft (elbow) received a platelet-rich plasma injection Tuesday, MLB.com reports. (Jun 3 — 10d ago) [KNOWN] Ke'Bryan Hayes (3B) — Back: Hayes is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Phillies. (May 22 — 22d ago) [KNOWN] Brandon Williamson (Starting Pitcher) — Shoulder (Left): The Reds transferred Williamson (shoulder) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Wednesday. (May 8 — 36d ago) Diamondbacks: [KNOWN] Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (LF) — Hamstring (Left): Gurriel (hamstring) began a rehab assignment in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League Monday, going 1-for-4 with an RBI single. (Jun 9 — 4d ago) [KNOWN] Carlos Santana (First Baseman) — Thigh (Right): Santana (thigh) began a rehab assignment in the Arizona Complex League on Friday, Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports reports. (Jun 7 — 6d ago) [KNOWN] James McCann (C) — Quadriceps (Right): McCann (quad) has started taking machine batting practice and doing catching drills, Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports reports. (Jun 3 — 10d ago) [KNOWN] Jeff Brigham (Relief Pitcher) — Undisclosed (Not Specified): Brigham was placed on the 7-day injured list at Triple-A St. Paul, retroactive to April 6, with a left oblique strain, TwinsDaily.com reports. (May 8 — 36d ago)
Props on this game
4Corbin CarrollOVER 0.5 Walks Walks-108
Not yet graded
This pick is entirely driven by the severe command crisis currently plaguing Reds starter Rhett Lowder. Lowder has issued 13 walks in just 7.1 innings since returning from injury, which equates to roughly 1.77 walks per inning.
Corbin Carroll, batting second in the Diamondbacks order, is guaranteed at least two plate appearances against Lowder and likely three given Lowder's inability to work deep into games recently (3.0, 3.0, and 1.1 innings in his last three starts). Carroll's plate discipline and Lowder's statistical outlier performance in the walk category suggest a high-probability opportunity for at least one free pass.
Even if Lowder is pulled early, he faces the Reds' bullpen which has struggled with a 5.13 ERA since May 1, providing additional opportunities later in the game.
Spencer SteerUNDER 0.5 Hits Hits+151
Not yet graded
Spencer Steer is currently mired in a significant slump, recording just one hit in his last five games (1-for-17). He faces a daunting matchup against Michael Soroka, who has been elite against right-handed hitters this year.
Soroka’s platoon splits are stark; he holds RHBs to a .183 average, and Steer—a right-handed hitter—will likely face him for three of his projected four at-bats. While Great American Ball Park is a hitter-friendly environment, Steer's recent contact quality and Soroka's reinvention (2.28 ERA over his last seven starts) suggest the 'under' on a hit is undervalued at +151.
Given that Soroka is coming off a 7.0-inning dominant performance, Steer will have limited looks at a potentially tired bullpen, making his chances of breaking the slump tonight lower than the market suggests.
Eugenio SuarezUNDER 0.5 Home Runs Home Runs-450
WActual 0
Eugenio Suarez faces a nearly impossible statistical hurdle in Michael Soroka tonight. Soroka has been dominant against right-handed hitters in 2026, holding them to a .183 average and a .510 OPS while allowing just two home runs across 109 at-bats.
Suarez is currently struggling with a .219 season average and a strikeout-heavy profile that matches up poorly against Soroka's primary slurve, which generates a 32.6% whiff rate. While Great American Ball Park is known for its short fences, Soroka's ability to suppress power from righties makes the probability of a Suarez home run exceptionally low.
Based on Soroka's HR-per-AB rate against righties (1.8%), the likelihood of Suarez hitting a home run in 4-5 plate appearances is significantly lower than the 18.2% implied by the odds.
Nolan ArenadoUNDER 1.5 Total Bases Total Bases-115
WActual 0
Nolan Arenado is currently in a significant slump, failing to record a single multi-hit game throughout the month of June. He faces Rhett Lowder, who is struggling with extreme command issues, walking 13 batters over his last 7.1 innings of work.
This lack of control significantly favors the under on total bases because walks are excluded from the statistical total, effectively capping Arenado's opportunities for hits. Between his cold stretch at the plate and the high probability of several plate appearances resulting in walks or long counts, the volume of official at-bats for Arenado is likely to be suppressed.
He would need a multi-hit performance or an extra-base hit to clear this line, neither of which he has consistently produced recently.
Every pick posts before the game and is graded after, in public. In the app you can ride or fade any of them, and your book keeps score against Gary's.
Download on the App Store