Giants vs Reds Picks and Prediction – 3/29/2025

The Giants and Reds square off again Saturday afternoon at Great American Ball Park with first pitch scheduled for 4:10 PM EST. San Francisco took the series opener 6-4 behind Wilmer Flores’ three-RBI effort and a solid showing at the plate from Mike Yastrzemski. This one features a strong pitching matchup with veteran Justin Verlander making his season debut against Cincinnati’s lefty Nick Lodolo. Elevate your MLB game with our top-notch MLB picks.

San Francisco kicked off the year on a high note with a win powered by timely hits and power from Flores and company. Flores already has a homer and three RBIs, while Yastrzemski leads the team with a .500 average. Despite a low .182 team batting average through one game, the Giants were opportunistic at the plate and showed pop with two homers. This club ended Spring strong with back-to-back wins over Detroit and a tie against Arizona.

Defensively, the Giants gave up four runs in the opener, putting up a team ERA of 4.00 and WHIP of 1.33. They struck out eight and walked four. The bullpen will need to tighten up a bit, but the arrival of Justin Verlander for this game brings confidence. San Francisco is a little banged up with Enny Romero, Bryce Eldridge, and Jerar Encarnacion on short-term injury designations. Blayne Enlow and catcher Tom Murphy are both on the longer-term injured list and remain out for this one.

Cincinnati dropped the opener despite out-hitting the Giants 8-6. Jeimer Candelario was the lone bright spot, going 4-for-6 with three RBIs and leading the team with a .667 batting average and .750 OBP. The Reds had some clutch hits but couldn’t get the ball over the wall and left too many runners stranded. Despite that, the offense looked competent with a .242 average and showed some plate discipline, drawing two walks in the loss.

On the pitching side, the Reds posted a 6.00 ERA and a surprising 0.89 WHIP, thanks to 17 strikeouts and only two walks. Nick Lodolo gets the nod in this one after an offseason of working on his command, and the team hopes his left-handed approach can contain San Francisco's righty-heavy power. The Reds are dealing with several key injuries, including catcher Tyler Stephenson, outfielder Austin Hays, and reliever Alexis Diaz.

San Francisco’s power and clutch hitting gave them the edge in the opener, and now, with Verlander toeing the rubber, the Giants should feel good about their chances. Lodolo has shown flashes, but without a healthy bullpen, it’s a tough spot. San Francisco has more balance right now, and that carries them again. Final Score Prediction: San Francisco Giants win 5-3.