Astros vs. Cincinnati Primer With Reds’ Pre/Post Game Host Lance McAlister

Lance McAlister, WLW’s Pre & Post Game Host for Reds baseball,  sits down to preview Houston’s weekend series in Cincinnati.

Q:  The Reds have cooled down a little since their hot start.  What’s the overall pulse of the club presently?

A:  They are in a precarious spot. They got off to a big start, with strong pitching, defense and bullpen. The hope was the bats would come around. They haven’t, and now the other spots are leaking oil.

Everything that was going right, winning close games, finding ways to win, has flipped. 3 starting pitchers on the IL hasn’t helped. Missing the bat of Eugenio Suarez (oblique) hasn’t helped. Hot shot rookie Sal Stewart has cooled.

Q:    Tonight you’ll send Nick Lodolo to the mound.  What can you share with our Astros readers about his skillset and what he throws?

A:  When healthy, he can dominate with a wipeout slider. The issue continues to be a blister that has landed him on the IL three different seasons.

It all ties to his slider.  The grip that causes the friction on the pad of his finger, is the pressure point that creates the slider. They can’t figure it out. Honestly, no reason to believe they can. It’s been ok for the two latest rehab starts. But, who knows.

Q:  At SS,  you have something special in Elly De La Cruz.  When he gets rolling, the whole lineup seems to feed off of him.  Would you agree with that assessment?

A:  Elly stirs the drink. He can impact and change games at the plate, in the field, and on the bases. This season, the game appears to have slowed down for him. He is more relaxed.