Next up for the Reds: 3x Cy Young winner Justin Verlander of the Giants

Saturday afternoon baseball in GABP!

There is precious little that Justin Verlander has not accomplished in his Hall of Fame career.

He’s won Rookie of the Year. He’s been an MVP. He’s won a trio of Cy Young Awards, twice posted the most bWAR of any pitcher in baseball, and won a pitching triple crown. Twice he has won the World Series, twice he has won the ERA title, and he’s been an All Star on nine separate occasions.

What he does not possess at this juncture of his career, though, is a winning record against the Cincinnati Reds. He’s just 1-2 in four career starts against them, but he’ll get a fifth chance on Saturday afternoon in Great American Ball Park when he toes the rubber for the visiting San Francisco Giants.

Verlander, now 42 years old, is coming off the worst year of his big league career in 2024, but the Giants still believed there was enough in his tank to ink him to a 1-year, $15 million deal this past winter. He’ll get the start in the second game of the series while trying to cement the series victory for San Francisco, who stole game one with a dagger in the Bottom of the 9th after the Reds had led throughout.

Hoping to stem that tide will be Nick Lodolo, who’ll get the start for Cincinnati. The lefty is similarly looking to rebound after a difficult 2024, and he’ll get the nod in the season’s second game after Hunter Greene’s electric start on Opening Day.

First pitch is set for 4:10 PM ET.

Reds Lineup