The Reds wanted to go out on a positive note on the last home game of the season. They wanted to test their young pitchers against a team in the pennant race.
The Boston Red Sox provided that opposition and proved why they are close to clinching the American League East title with a four-run eighth inning rally in a 5-4 win. It completed the sweep and left Cincinnati winless in its last six-game homestand.
'"Let Boston and the Brewers get caught up in the pennant race," Bryan Price said. 'We are in the finish strong mode. It is two different things. They have five guys over there who either started for someone else or stated for them. We have rookies>"
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Stephens held Boston to a pair of hits through six innings, one of those hit was Red Sox rookie Rafael Dever’s 10th home run of the season. It was his second home run of the series.
The Reds broke the ice against Doug Fister in the first inning. Zack Cozart, in perhaps his last home game as a Red, singled. Scooter Gennett’s two out double sent Cozart home. Gennett was caught in between second and third by Mookie Betts’ throw, ending the inning.
After Dever’s fifth inning home run tied the game the Reds forcefully took the lead. Adam Duvall rolled and infield single down the thirdbase line. Stephens blooped his second Major League hit to center. Centerfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. air mailed a throw to third into the camera well behind third, allowing Duvall to score. Stephens trotted home on Billy Hamilton’s triple into the rightfield corner.
Stephens left with the 3-1 lead after six innings of two-hit, one-run baseball. He walked two and struck out two. Stephens depended on another rookie, Wandy Peralta, to preserve his third win with no losses.
"Stephens was really good. He was really aggressive in the zone," Price said.
Peralta and Michael Lorenzen navigated a scoreless seventh.
Hamilton stole the Reds’ fourth run in the bottom of the inning. Hamilton walked with run out, ready to steal his 59th base of the season. Boston reliever Brandon Workman threw to Mitch Moreland at first. Hamilton stopped halfway. Moreland started to run him toward second. Hamilton waited until Moreland lobbed a throw to secondbaseman Dustin Pedroia. Hamilton passed Moreland and headed to first where both Workman and catcher Christian Vazquez was covering. Pedroia was unsure who to throw to and missed both. The ball bounced off the screen protecting the dugout. Hamilton sped past second and went to third. As he rounded third he saw home plate was unprotected and out ran three Red Sox players to the plate, scoring with a head first, diving slide. He was not credited with a stolen base.
Hamilton had a cut above his right eye when his helmet flew off with such force.
"I was trying to get to second base. When I run, I run with my head up so I can see what happens," Hamilton said. "It was a race between me and Devers. I'll take my chances. My whole career it was one of my best runs. I was mad because I got picked off. It wasn't how I drew it up but I'll take it."
Lorenzen pitched the Reds into trouble in the eighth. Vazquez and Xander Bogaerts singled. Raisell Iglesias relieved Lorenzen. Pedroia bounced to the mound. Fielded cleanly it could have been a double play but Iglesias knocked it down and got the out at first as the runners advanced. Iglesias walked Andrew Benintendi to load the bases. Mookie Betts cleared the bases with a ball just over Phillip Ervin’s head in left. With two outs, Devers hit a slow roller to Eugenio Suarez at third and beat the throw to Joey Votto at first. Betts hustled all the way and beat Votto’s throw from his stretched out posture with a diving slide.
Iglesias suffered his second blown save of the season after converting 15 consecutive times since the Dodgers got to him on June 11.
"This loss sucks. It sucks because we had the lead. It sucks because we walked to guys who ended up scoring. It sucks because it was against a really good team. It sucks because we played really good with the exception of a half inning. You want these guys rewarded because of their effort and we haven't been rewarded enough. It sucks. Losing sucks. Plain and simple, you guys watched it. We had the lead late Because we're 2o-plus games under doesn't make it suck less. It sucks worse. The truth be told."
Craig Kimbrel struck out rookie Jesse Winker to earn his 35th save.
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