Reds Offseason Addition Has Huge Game for Triple-A Louisville

Juilan Aguiar struggled in his second start of the season.

Cincinnati Reds right fielder JJ Bleday (22) runs the field after hitting a homer in the third inning of a Cactus League game between the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago White Sox, Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, at | Frank Bowen IV/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Louisville Bats fall to the Iowa Cubs 11-10 on Thursday night, their second loss in a row after beginning the season 4-0.

Aguiar Struggles

Julian Aguiar pitched three innings in his second start after missing all of 2025 recovering from Tommy John surgery. He allowed eight runs on four home runs, seven hits, three walks, and two strikeouts. After a walk and a single in the top of the first, he allowed a walk and a single before he allowed a three-run home run and a solo home run in consecutive at-bats. He went 1-2-3 in the second inning, but he gave up two more home runs in the third as the Cubs took an 8-3 lead. He got out of the inning, but did not return for the fourth. 

Offense Stays Hot

Rece Hinds had an off-night for his standards this season, going 1-6 with a double and an RBI with a run scored. He's batting .440 with a 1.436 OPS in the first six games of the season. JJ Bleday had his best game in Louisville to this point. He went 3-5 with three doubles, an RBI, a walk, and two runs scored. His batting average improved to .333, and his OPS climbed to 1.167. Michael Chavis played long-ball twice, going 2-4 with two home runs, three RBIs, and a walk, and Blake Dunn remains red-hot. He went 3-4 with a walk and two runs scored. He's batting .458 with a 1.117 OPS. 

Edwin Arroyo came through in the clutch in the bottom of the ninth. He ripped an RBI triple to cut the Cubs’ lead to one, but it was not enough. Arroyo is batting .292 with a .935 OPS to start his Triple-A career.

Bullpen Struggles

Overall, the pitching staff was not very good on Thursday night, aside from three performances. Yunior Marte walked four and allowed a hit and a run in relief of Aguiar in 1 2/3 innings. Hagen Danner allowed two runs on two hits and gave up a home run in an inning of work; he was credited with the loss. 

Some positives in the bullpen on Thursday's loss: Tejay Antone threw 1 1/3 perfect innings with a strikeout. 11 of his 16 pitches were strikes. Trevor Kuncl has yet to allow a run in Triple-A to start the season. He did walk two batters but only gave up one hit in 1 1/3 innings with two strikeouts. Zach Maxwell pitched a perfect 2/3 inning in relief of Kuncl in the ninth.

The pitching staff allowed 11 hits with nine walks and five home runs on Thursday night. The Bats had 15 hits but could not capitalize. Louisville hitters struck out 10 times while the pitching staff only had seven punchouts.

On Deck

Louisville plays game four of the series Friday night with first pitch scheduled for 7:15 p.m. Davis Daniel makes his second start of the season after striking out six in four innings in his season debut.