Reds vs. Angels Preview (Game 2): Time to Un-Embarrass Ourselves in Public

Alright, Reds fans—Game 2 is here at 4:10 PM ET, and after last night’s 10–2 situation, the Reds are officially in that awkward phase where you avoid eye contact with your neighbors because they “caught the game” and now they have questions.

Series update: Angels lead 1–0.

Odds: Reds -136.

Over/Under: 9 (which feels optimistic after yesterday’s fireworks show) (as of Saturday morning).

Game 1 Recap: A Premium-Quality Beatdown

The Angels came into Great American Ball Park and treated it like an all-you-can-score buffet. Ten runs. For them. Two for us. And it was on Apple TV+, which means the whole country got to watch us get cooked in 4K like a Food Network special.

If you heard a faint sound during the game, that was Reds fans collectively Googling: “Can you forfeit in baseball without being judged?”

Pitching Matchup: Klassen vs. Williamson (AKA: Who’s Gonna Blink First?)

Angels: George Klassen (0–0, 6.75 ERA, 3.00 WHIP, 4 K in 2.2 IP)

A 3.00 WHIP is not a pitching stat—it’s a cry for help. And in 2.2 innings, that’s not “small sample size,” that’s “blink twice if you need assistance.” That’s the kind of number that makes hitters start stretching in the on-deck circle like they’re about to run a marathon.

Translation: if the Reds don’t make this guy sweat, we need to start investigating.

Reds: Brandon Williamson (1–1, 4.76 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 7 K)

Williamson’s ERA isn’t exactly “ace vibes,” but that 1.06 WHIP says he’s not out here handing out baserunners like it’s Halloween. The goal today: keep the ball in the park and don’t let the Angels turn every inning into a group project where everyone contributes a hit.

Who’s Hot (And Who’s About to Be, If Baseball Has Any Justice)

Reds

• Sal Stewart is hitting .340 with a .458 OBP and a .681 slugging. That’s not a slash line—that’s a restraining order for opposing pitchers.

• Elly De La Cruz has 4 homers already and is always one swing away from making a pitcher stare into the distance like they just remembered they left the stove on.

Angels

• Jorge Soler has 15 RBI already. Fifteen. That’s not production—that’s a hostile takeover.

• Zach Neto has 5 homers, and if he hits another one, I’m personally sending him a “please stop” card with a Skyline gift certificate as a bribe.

The Keys to the Game (Simple Enough for Me to Yell at My TV)

1. Score 5+ runs. The Reds are 3–0 when they score 5+ runs. So let’s do that. It’s a revolutionary concept called “offense.”

2. Don’t let the Angels get 8 hits. They’re 4–0 when they do. So basically: stop letting them treat our pitching like batting practice with souvenirs.

Toss Boss Game Plan

If Klassen is rocking a 6.75 ERA and a 3.00 WHIP, the Reds should come out swinging like they just got charged a “convenience fee” to watch last night’s game. Make him throw strikes. Make him work. Make him regret choosing “professional baseball player” as a career path.

And Williamson? Just give us five-ish solid innings where we’re not texting our group chat “welp” by the third inning.

Toss Boss Prediction

This is a bounce-back spot. The Reds got embarrassed last night, and baseball teams usually respond one of two ways:

• They come out angry and win.

• Or they do the same thing again and we all start learning about the 2027 draft class.

I’m taking the optimistic route: Reds 6, Angels 4. Stewart stays scorching, Elly does something illegal-looking on the basepaths, and we all go home feeling like functioning adults again.

Now please, Cincinnati—let’s keep the “premium-quality beatdown” content to the other teams this series.