Drew Pomerantz Pitches And Hits Padres Past Reds

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The Reds had a tough time with Padres left-hander Drew Pomerantz.  Come to think of it Reds' starting pitcher Brandon Finnegan did too.

Pomerantz hit the second home run off Finnegan in the fifth inning and singled home a run in the seventh, while holding the Reds off the scoreboard for seven innings in a 3-0 defeat in front of members of the Reds' Hall of Fame and 40,871 fans.

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Two mental errors kept the Reds in a hole until Pomerantz connected to put a Finnegan pitch into the rightfield bleachers.

Travis Jankowski opened the game with a double.  Wil Myers ground out got Jankowski to third.  Matt Kemp hit a one-hopper to Eugenio Saurez as Jankowski took off for home and was only halfway down the line when Saurez decided to throw to first.

Finnegan allowed a two-out hit in the first then retired 12 of the next 13 batters.

"Win or lose, Finney is pitching winning baseball," Bryan Price said. "Pomerantz didn't give us anything to be excited about. Finney does what he does. He battles."

The Reds have been shut out four times and Finnegan has been on the mound in three of them.

"That's going to happen," Finnegan said. "Especially when you go against the other team's ace.  Pomerantz threw really well. He kept us off balance all day.  He hit the ball up in the air.  It carried. It's a small ballpark. I'm not going to strike out every pitcher so it is going to happen.  He did have a nice hit up the middle."

The Reds had a chance to tie the game in the fourth.  Brandon Phillips grounder off the end of the bat trickled down the firstbase line past Myers for a double.  On the first pitch to Jay Bruce, who is second in the National League with 57 RBI, Phillips took off for third and was caught stealing by Derek Norris, throwing to Adam Rosales.  Bruce invited more second guessing by lining a single past the shift.

Lost in the Reds' troubles were two plays by Adam Duvall in left.  He played Yangervis Solate's hit off the leftfield wall and held him to a single.  A sliding stop of a line single by Norris kept the leadoff hitter from getting to secondbase.

Norris stole second and with two outs Pemerantz singled to drive in his second run of the game.

Ross Ohlendorf escaped a jam created by Bruce and ended by Bruce.  Solarte walked and left for pinch runner Alex Amarista.  Melvin Upton Jr. flied deep to right and Bruce was set up and prepared to make the throw but dropped the ball.  Amarista went to third.  Upton stole second and the Reds walked Norris intentionally.  Alexei Ramirez lined out to Phillips with the infield in.  Rosales hit a fly to medium right Bruce settled under this one too, making the catch and nailing Amarista on a throw that reached catcher Ramon Cabrera on the fly.

Tyler Holt pinch hit in the eighth and was called out on a checked swing by Phil Cuzzi.  Holt was ejected for showing his displeasure.