There are no moral victories in professional sports. Playing better or coming close doesn’t count for much at all. However, there is something to be said for trending in the right direction. The Cincinnati Reds, despite losing two out of three to the Milwaukee Brewers, continue to play better baseball. They have won 13 of their last 20 games and eight of their last 12. Sitting at 34-37 isn’t great, but when you consider where they were less than a month ago it is certainly progress.
Another reason for some continued optimism is how the Cincinnati Reds are playing against the best competition. They are 10-10 against the Brewers, Dodgers, and Phillies. Those three teams are a combined 132-82 overall. Again, moral victories and silver linings are cheap. However, as the Reds await the return of key pieces such as Matt McLain and Noelvi Marte, the progress deserves to be recognized.
Cincinnati will keep it in the division to begin the week by heading to Pittsburgh. Carson Spiers is scheduled to start Monday night at 6:40 p.m. Eastern Time against the Pirates. Nick Lodolo and Hunter Greene will also pitch against the NL Central foes. Then, the Reds have Thursday off before some interleague play against the Boston Red Sox. Six of the next nine games are against the Pirates followed by four versus the Cardinals. This would be a perfect time for the Reds to go on a run and get to .500. Just keep winning series.
Reds Hold On For Series Opening Win
For awhile it looked like it could be a rather stress free win on Friday night for the Cincinnati Reds. After putting up three runs in the top of the fifth inning they held a 5-1 advantage on the Milwaukee Brewers. However, the top team in the National League Central would not go down without a fight. The Reds eventually needed a perfect throw from right field, a replay overrule at home plate, and an incredibly bizarre decision from a Brewers’ batter to escape with a 6-5 victory.
TJ Friedl struck first for Cincinnati with a solo home run in the third inning. That was soon answered though in the bottom half of the frame as William Contreras went deep to tie the game. In the the Reds next turn at-bat, Jonathan India poked one into right field scoring Jake Fraley to retake the lead at 2-1. Then, in the fifth, they started to pull away. Elly De La Cruz sent a laser to right field for a triple that scored Friedl. Jeimer Candelario stepped to the plate next and absolutely unloaded on a 423-foot home run to right center field. His 12th home run of the season made it a 5-1 game. However, the game would prove to be far from over.
Hunter Greene exited the game after five innings with a 5-2 lead in line to capture his fifth win of the season. It wasn’t his sharpest outing of late allowing five walks and two runs on three hits, but he would eventually record the win. Fast forward to the ninth inning, and Cincinnati held a 6-3 lead with closer Alexis Diaz coming in to shut the door. Two hits, an error, and a bases loaded walk later and it was 6-4. Then, Jackson Churio lined one into right field plating one run and briefly tying the game. However, after a review, Will Benson actually gunned down the second runner at the plate to keep the Reds on top 6-5.
With two outs, Blake Perkins attempted to bunt the very next pitch and it was popped up to Diaz for the final out. Cincinnati escaped with 6-5 victory. It isn’t often you can beat a team as good as the Brewers when committing five errors and walking eight batters. The Reds were very, very fortunate to win the series opener in Milwaukee.
Three-Run Home Run Evens the Series
On Friday night, the Cincinnati Reds did not deserve to win. However, they overcame a comedy of errors in the field and eight walks to beat the Brewers. On Saturday evening the game was much cleaner, but the Reds couldn’t come out on top.
While it wasn’t as ugly as the previous night, walks did still haunt the Reds in Milwaukee. Andrew Abbott led off the bottom of the fifth inning with a pair of free passes. Then, Joey Ortiz connected on a home run to make it a 3-0 game. Without the walks, the Reds may have still had a chance to win the game. Abbott was saddled with the loss allowing those three runs on four hits. Both Buck Farmer and Brent Suter were lights out in relief, but there wasn’t enough happening at the plate for Cincinnati.
Jeimer Candelario finally broke up the shutout in the ninth inning with a RBI double, but that was all the Reds could manage. Bryse Wilson pitched five and two-thirds shutout innings allowing just three hits and striking out six to earn the win. Jared Koening served as Milwaukee’s opener recording the first two outs. In relief, Bryan Hudson turned in two great innings and Trevor Megill earned the save. Milwaukee’s 3-1 win set up the series rubber match for Sunday afternoon.
Reds Lose Rubber Match in Milwaukee
The Cincinnati Reds benefited from an overturned play at the plate on Friday night. They would have no such luck in series rubber match on Sunday afternoon. With runners on first and second, down to their final out, Jonathan India looped one to centerfield. However, Stuart Fairchild was thrown out at home plate to end the game. After a quick review, the call on the field was confirmed. The Brewers escaped with a 5-4 victory to take the series.
While the ending was frustrating, Cincinnati also let a 3-0 lead slip away in the middle innings. After an Elly De La Cruz triple, Jeimer Candelario got the Reds on the board in the first with a sacrifice fly. Then, De La Cruz showed off his electric speed scoring from second base on an errant pickoff attempt. Finally, in the fourth, Spencer Steer connected on a solo shot making it 3-0. However, the Brewers would go on to score five unanswered to climb on top.
Milwaukee’s comeback began in the fifth inning. A leadoff double, followed by a single, set up an RBI ground out making it 3-1. In the bottom of the sixth, Frankie Montas was lifted from the game after allowing a leadoff single followed by a walk. Then, on the first pitch from Lucas Sims, Willy Adames hit a three-run home run to give the Brewers a 4-3 lead. They would go on to add another run in the seventh before De La Cruz finished off an excellent day at the plate with a solo home run setting the eventual final score of 5-4.
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