The Houston Astros haven't been to Cincinnati in seven seasons. The team with the second best record in baseball limped in at that. Starters including All-Star and former MVP Jose Altuve were missing along with Carlos Correa and George Springer with injuries.
The Astros remaining had very little experience facing Reds' starter Luis Castillo, who earned a 3-2 victory to improve to 7-1. Michael Brantley had five at bats coming into the game. He had two hits. Robinson Chirinos had two at bats; no hits. Josh Riddiick had four at bats with no hits.
Wade Miley started for Houston. As a former National Leaguer, most recently with Milwaukee, he has been here many times. At Great American Ball Park, Miley was 4-0 in six starts.
There was a 52 minute rain delay in the bottom of the third of the scoreless contest.
The Reds jumped on Miley first in the fifth inning.
Curt Casali singled and Kyle Farmer walked to open the inning. Castillo laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners up. Nick Senzel, playing for the first time since fouling a ball off his left eye, singled up the middle to score both runners. Joey Votto walked and Eugenio Suarez beat the shift with a ground ball to right to score Senzel with the third run.
Castillo cruised until the seventh. He walked Chirinos and Tyler White before leaving the game in favor of David Hernandez with a career-high six walks. Hernandez struck out Tony Kemp and appeared to get out of the inning when pinch hitter Jake Marisnick hit a one hopper to the mound. Hernandez threw to Jose Peraza covering second. Peraza was charged with an error of the game with a wide throw to first that allowed Chirinos to score and Marisnick to take second. Hernandez walked Alex Bregman. David Bell brought in Amir Garrett to face left-handed batting, Michael Brantley. Brantley doubled on the first pitch. Marisnick scored and Bregman took second. Yordan Alvarez flew out to Yasiel Puig in right to end the inning with the Reds still up 2-1.
"I just didn't have my command to start the inning," Castillo said. "Everything worked out well."
"When you get to that point in the game with no runs and two hits at that point of the game after a long rain delay. I struggle to say anything negative," David Bell said. "It was close to not having him come back. Once we knew when the game time was, we knew we were in the clear."
The Reds needed Iglesias to get out of an eighth inning jam. Yuli Guriel singled off Garrett to start thie inning. Josh Riddick forced him at second. Bell sent for Iglesias, who got Chirinos to pop up but walked White. The runners advanced on a wild pitch but Kemp grounded out.
"Iglesias has done it before. He's going to do it again. I told him to be ready for tomorrow," Bell said. "It was just a feeling. Raisel hasn't pitched in six days and I asked a lot of him to finish the game. Michael was ready. It seemed like the right move. That's what good things do, pick each other up. Tonight it was somebody else's turn."
Iglesias said all the right things.
"I'm happy because we won," Iglesias said. "I didn't have my best command."
He walked two in one inning of work.
Iglesias walked pinch hitter Myles Straw to start the ninth. Bregman fouled out to first base. Bell brought in Michael Lorenzen to face Brantley. Lorenzen got a fly out to Senzel in center. The 21-year old Alvarez was the last hope for Houston. The count went to 3-1. Alvarez struck out swinging to end the game. It was Lorenzen's third save.
Lorenzen allowed himself a celebratory fist pump after his 99 MPH fastball got Alvarez to seal the deal.
"It took me back to my college days," said the closer, who also played center field at Cal State - Fullerton. "In my role (middle relief) you don't have many chances to celebrate. It was a big win for us. I was ready for anything. When the phone rang it could have been to play outfield or get ready to pinch run. They told me to warm up. We have such depth in the bullpen. I think David is comfortable with whoever he brings into the game."
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