Reds vs. Phillies Game 1: Preview & Starting Pitchers – May 18

Elly De La Cruz & Bryce Harper (Photos by Imagn Images)

Reds vs. Phillies Game 1: Preview & Starting Pitchers – May 18

Originally posted on Total Pro Sports
By Paranjoy Goswami | Last updated May 18, 2026 10:33 AM ET

Reds vs. Phillies: The Cincinnati Reds will start a three-game series on the road against the Philadelphia Phillies this week. Game 1 will take place at Citizens Bank Park on Monday evening.

Cincinnati is currently under .500 with a 23-24 record after their highly encouraging opening month of the season. They lost the Ohio Cup to the Cleveland Guardians, 3-10, on Sunday. The Reds are fourth in the NL Central with just four wins from 12 games in May.

Philadelphia has a 24-23 record heading into this series to go above .500 for the first time since the start of April. They recorded another 6-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday. The Phillies are now second in the NL East after taking 15 wins from the past 20 games.

Kings of the Keystone State#RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/oii6GBgtGv
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) May 17, 2026

Reds vs. Phillies Game 1: TV Channel, Streaming, Radio

Here’s how to catch Monday evening’s matchup:

First pitch: 6:40 p.m. ET
Location: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia
TV channel: NBCSP, Reds.TV, Gray Media, WXIX FOX19
Radio: 94 WIP, iHeart App, WLW 700
Streaming option: MLB App (Paid), mlbwebcast.com (Free).

Kyle Schwarber (Image Credits: Imagn)

Reds vs. Phillies Game 1: Starting Pitchers

Nick Lodolo is the starting pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds in Game 1. The 28-year-old southpaw has not settled on the mound since returning from the IL earlier this month. He pitched 9.1 innings in his two starts, giving up nine earned runs, including three homers, and four walks.

Andrew Painter will make his ninth appearance for the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday. The 23-year-old rookie is having some difficulty on the mound, but he is coming off a strong outing. He pitched 37.1 innings thus far with a 6.21 ERA, 1.593 WHIP, and 34 strikeouts.

This article first appeared on Total Pro Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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