Padres hunting for fourth straight win at Reds: Game 2 preview

After a close call in the ninth inning on Monday, the San Diego Padres will have to go through Sonny Gray on Tuesday to win their second series in a row.

The San Diego Padres have won three games in a row. Can they make it four?

The Friars are coming off a scary, if not thrilling, win against the Cincinnati Reds. Carrying a two-run lead into the ninth inning, Kirby Yates nearly flopped his 39th save opportunity.

He allowed a run to score and loaded the bases, but with ice in his veins he worked his way out of the jam for his 36th save of the year and third in as many nights.

Now the Padres have a chance to win their second straight series on Tuesday against Cincinnati, but it’ll be a tall task as Sonny Gray (8-6) will look to guide the Reds to victory.

An All-Star and near-Cy Young Award winner with the Oakland Athletics, Gray is enjoying another career year in his first season with Cincinnati (and in the National League, for that matter). A 2.98 ERA, 1.116 WHIP, and 154 strikeouts is nothing to scoff at for the 8-year pitcher.

Gray hasn’t allowed a single run to score in his last three starts, amounting to a 0.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and 24 strikeouts over 18 IP. That’s seriously impressive.

The Padres will need rookie sensation Cal Quantrill (6-3) to be at his best to get the job done. He owns a 3.23 ERA, 1.115 WHIP, and 61 strikeouts this season and has really stepped up his game in the last two months.

Get this — since mid-June when he was relegated to the bullpen, Cal has posted six scoreless outings with three of those comprising more than 5.2 innings pitched (the other three were relief appearances). In six games played through the second half, he’s rocking a 1.31 ERA and 0.82 WHIP compared to a 4.83 ERA and 1.37 WHIP in 11 games through the first half.

Color me optimistic, but I’m more eager to watch Quantrill at the moment than Chris Paddack. The guy has a cool story on his path to the majors and seems poised to snag a spot on the Friars’ 2020 rotation.

This is shaping up to be an exciting match up you won’t want to miss. Here’s how to watch Game 2 of the Padres at Reds series live, online and TV.

Date: Tuesday, August 20
First Pitch: 4:10 PM PT/7:10 PM ET
Location: Cincinnati, OH
Stadium: Great American Ball Park
Pitchers: Cal Quantrill (6-3) vs. Sonny Gray (8-6)
Radio Station: KWFN 97.3 (Padres), WLW 700 (Reds)
TV Channel: Fox Sports San Diego (Padres), Fox Sports Ohio (Reds)
Live Stream: MLB.tv

For complete coverage of the San Diego Padres 2019 season, be sure to visit Friars on Base all season long.