Brent Suter Powers Cincinnati Reds’ Bullpen Masterclass at Speedway Classic – What It Means for Their Playoff Push

BRISTOL, Tenn. — When torrential rain halted the inaugural Speedway Classic after just four outs, the Cincinnati Reds were forced into a high-stakes game of musical chairs on the pitching staff. With rookie Chase Burns burned for 18 pitches in Saturday night’s suspended first inning, manager Terry Francona will hand the ball to veteran left-hander Brent Suter when play resumes this afternoon at Bristol Motor Speedway. Why Suter? Experience, efficiency and a rubber arm • The 35-year-old southpaw owns a 3.02 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 37 strikeouts over 50 ⅔ innings across 34 appearances this season. • Suter has excelled in multi-inning relief, averaging 13.9 pitches per frame—an economy the Reds desperately need on an unexpected bullpen day. • A Harvard environmental-science grad nicknamed “The Raptor,” Suter’s stretch-and-fire delivery allows him to warm quickly, a plus after the chaotic restart. Quote of the day “Losing the innings of Burns last night really is a dilemma for us … you go from trying to win the game to, all of a sudden, ‘How do we finish the game?’” Francona said of turning to Suter to bridge the gap. Playoff math: every pitch matters Cincinnati enters the resumption clinging to a half-game edge for the final NL Wild Card spot and trailing the first-place Chicago Cubs by 2 ½ in the Central. Today’s bullpen scramble bleeds into a three-game set at Wrigley starting Monday, meaning Suter’s ability to steal innings could determine both today’s outcome and tomorrow’s bullpen availability. Rain, roster shuffles and a razor-thin margin • Outfielder Will Benson was optioned to Triple-A to add long reliever Lyon Richardson as the 27th man. • The Reds already lost Sunday’s scheduled off-day, putting extra strain on a relief corps that ranks sixth in MLB in innings pitched. • Atlanta counters with top prospect Hurston Waldrep after scratching Spencer Strider during Saturday’s two-hour, 17-minute delay. Scouting the matchup Suter will inherit a 1-0 lead with one out and two on in the bottom of the first. The Braves’ lineup is heavy on right-handed power, but Suter has limited righties to a .218 average thanks to a darting 87 mph sinker and a low-80s changeup that fades off the plate. What it means going forward If Suter can cover two to three innings, Francona can hold high-leverage arms Alexis Díaz and Lucas Sims for the late frames while keeping them fresh for Chicago. If not, Cincinnati may need to summon another arm before Monday, complicating the 40-man puzzle with September roster expansion still weeks away. Bottom line The Speedway Classic was billed as a spectacle; now it has become Brent Suter’s chance to steady the Reds’ ship in a pennant race that refuses to wait out the weather. Cincinnati’s postseason hopes could hinge on how long the veteran lefty can dance in the infield cutout of a NASCAR icon today.