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Dateline: Cincinnati
Elly De La Cruz booted a ground ball that led to the San Francisco Giants three-run seventh that handed the visitors a 3-0 win after the Reds won the first two games. The Reds managed a harmless single to drop to 11-8 on the season.
Chase Burns for the Reds and Landen Roupp for the San Francisco were stingy on Thursday at Great American Ball Park.
Burns was a better host, allowing two hits through six innings. Roupp played the part of the free loading relative that brought nothing to the picnic. He allowed no hits in the first five frames.
"Their guy in this day and age, guys kind of throw the ball ripping it and riding it (up). He sunk it and then he threw a curveball off of it. It gave us a really tough time," Terry Francona said. "At times generating offense has been a lot harder for us than we want it to be. Today was one of those days."
Burns pitched to the minimum 18 batters. Willy Adames singled in the first inning but catcher P.J. Higgins threw him out attempting to steal the silverware at second base. The Reds turned double plays after Drew Gilbert walked in the third inning and Jung Hoo Lee singled int he fifth.
"We were getting ahead. We kind of knew there were a couple guys taking the first pitch. We just kind of tried to get strike one and go from there," Burns said. "I get kind of pumped up to go out there to throw, that could be a con for me sometimes. I'm just trying to stay smooth."
Burns pitched for Giants manager at the University of Tennessee before he transfered to Wake Forest.
"I don't talk to him,"Burns said. "There are some guys over there like the strength coach, I chatted with him. There were no thoughts about facing him really. I just tried to go out and do my job."
Higgins, one of the best players in minor league baseball at challenging calls through the ABS system, saved Burns a walk by challenging a 3-2 pitch called a ball by home plate umpire, Junior Valentine. Patrick Bailey became a strike out victim instead.
Higgins then singled to open the bottom of the sixth for the Reds first hit. TJ Friedl was hit by a pitch and the Reds had their first two batters on. Matt McLain struck out. Elly De La Cruz hit into a double play to end the threat.
Brock Burke came in to face the left handed Giants' lineup designed in an unsuccessful attempt to rattle Burns.
Luis Arraez reached base on an error by De La Cruz to open the seventh. Burke caught Adames and Rafael Devers looking at third strikes but Matt Chapman delivered the unearned run with a double to left centerfield. Lee's second single made it 2-0. When right handed Heliot Ramos was announced to pinch hit for Will Brennan, Reds' manager, Terry Francona, brought Connor Phillips into the game. Ramos walked and Casey Schmitt singled home the Giants' third run.
Burns finished with six scoreless innings, allowing two hits and a walk and striking out four.
"I keep saying he's learning," Francona said. "There's nothing wrong that because he is. It gets exciting in a hurry."
Ryan Walker relieved Roupp, who pitched six scoreless innings, allowing one hit and two walks. He hit two batters and struck out six. One hit batter raised eybrows when he hit Steer in the second inning. The Giants thought a pitch was too close to Ramos on Wednesday.
With two outs in the eighth inning, Phillips hit Adames with a pitch. Adames stepped toward the mound but Valentine cut him off as he ejected Phillips from the game. Sam Moll replaced Phillips on the mound. Devers fouled out to Steer in left.
Keaton Winn took over for the Giants in the bottom of the eighth. Erik Miller started the ninth to attempt the save.
Miller walked McLain but had three stikeouts, including Sal Stewart to end the game.
The teams had a discussion around home plate with the umpire crew prepared to referee.
"I actually missed it," Francona said after the game. "Cause when he struck out I usually Once Sal was called out I usually put my head down and sulk back off to the tunnel. I kinda was on the late show."
There was foreshadowing by Giants' first year manager Tony Vitello on Tuesday. He came straight out of the college coaching ranks at Tennessee to take over the Giants.
"These guys (Major Leaguers) play with each other on travel teams but in the SEC when you play a three-game series on the weekend by the end the two teams hate each other," Vitello said.
Stewart was upset beyond the strike out and was animated right after and was confronting Miller.
"I had my at bat. I struck out. He came down the mound and was looking at me, pointing at me. Tempers flared. Things happened and it's all good," Stewart said. "We won the series, tough game today and we're going to Minnesota and play, so I'm not going to talk more about that."
Phillips was questioned about why he was ejected.
"A win today would have been really nice. We weren't able to do that," Phillips said before explaining the incident that got him ejected. "We tried to go in the first one. Obviously, I missed. I tried to go in again and hit him. No warnings, you know. It is what it is. I guess, you know, its the same crew from last night. They know what happened. They come in and hit Spence. Maybe, there trying to let the game get out of hand.
After his last outing he allowed seven earned runs in three innings. A lot of them were not hit very hard but eluded infielders. At least that was the positive spin the left hander put on it.
