The Reds could not solve the Diamondbacks' rookie left-hander Alex Young in a 2-0 loss. He issued just two infield hits and a walk while he struck out 12, a season and career high.
Young was lifted for a pinch hitter with the bases loaded and one out in the top of the ninth. He broke the Arizona record for rookies with the 12 strikeouts. Teammate Archie Bradley, Max Scherzer and Brandon Webb who shared the record with 11.
"Butch (pitching coach Mike Butcher) talked about some stuff. I wasn't throwing far enough and extending. The game plan was to change speeds and use my cutter," said Young who had 40-plus family members and friends who made the trip from Mundelein, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. "Any time family comes out it gives you a little adrenaline rush."
The Reds were off balance all day.
"He changed speeds and really pitched," David Bell said. "He did a good job."
Luis Castillo for the Reds and Young for the Diamondbacks pitched hitless baseball until the fourth. Castillo got the first nine batters out in the game with five strikeouts. Young walked Joey Votto but only pitched to 10 batters in the first three innings.
Castillo cracked first. He walked Jarrod Dyson to open the fourth inning. Dyson stole second and scored on the Diamondbacks first hit, a single by Ketel Marte. Marte started the game with a .331 average, tied with Pittsburgh Pirate outfielder Bryan Reynolds. (Anthony Rendon leads with a .338 average). Ketel went to third on a double by Eduardo Escobar. A ground ball by Christian Walker that Castillo deflected toward first allowed Ketel to score.
"That inning could have gone differently," Bell said. "Luis walked the first batter but a fly ball fell for a double and the ball caromed off him. It was one of the better games he's thrown this year."
The Reds bats were silent until Jose Iglesias hit an infield single to lead off the Reds' fifth. Dyson made a diving catch of Freddie Galvis' bid for a base hit and caught Iglesias off first for a double play. Iglesias was trying to steal second.
"It was a straight steal," Bell said. "It looked like the ball was going to fall. Once you get that far, there isn't much you can do."
The Diamondbacks put two on with two outs in the eighth. Marte walked and Escobar singled. David Bell brought in Joel Kuhnel in to strikout Walker to end the inning.
Castillo allowed three hits and three walks in 7-2/3 innings while he struck out 10.
Young retired 10 batters in a row until Curt Casali's ground ball hit the third base bag for the Reds' second infield hit of the game.
Arizona loaded the bases with no outs against Kuhnel but Kevin Gausman struck out the next three batters.
Alex Blandino singled to open the ninth against Young's replacement, Andrew Chafin. Phillip Ervin struck out but Votto walked to bring Eugenio Suarez to the plate as the potential winning run. Jimmy Sherfy came in to strikeout Suarez on three pitches, bringing up Aristides Aquino with two outs. Sherfy earned the save by striking out Aquino. It was Sherfy's first save of the season.
"You want to bring the tying and winning runs to the plate," Bell said. "We did that but we didn't get the big hit."
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