r
The suspense was over early it seamed, as the Milwaukee Brewers roughed up the struggling Graham Ashcraft scoring 10 runs in four innings to bury the Reds, 10-8.
After a suspenseful 11-inning dog fight on Friday the Brewers put it to Ashcraft starting from the first inning.
"To come back in a game when you're down like that and have an opportunity to win, I'm really happy with that. We didn't sit back and wait for something to happen," David Bell said. "We kept playing our game. It really led to an opportunity that would have been a great comeback. We came up a little bit short but all the guys in the dugout were believing we were going to come back."
The suspense came later as the Reds had the tying run in scoring position with one out before the game ended.
Christian Yelich walked on an eight-pitch at bat the foreshadowed the next four frames. Yelich stole second as Owen Miller struck out swinging but scored on Rowdy Tellez' single to center.
The Reds got even. Matt McLain walked and advanced to third on a bloop single by Jake Fraley. Spencer Steer's infield single scored McLain.
Ashcraft had a 2-0 record with fine 2.00 ERA in his first six starts. Since then in five starts he had allowed 28 runs in 22 1/3 innings and ERA of 11.12.
"It just wasn't my day. My stuff wasn't in the zone. I couldn't find the zone. Stuff just happened and I couldn't do anything about it," Ashcraft said. "Mechanically, and placement, my stuff isn't doing what I need it to do, right now."
The Brewers scored three runs in the second inning on three singles and a walk. The Brewers loaded the bases with a walk and two singles including one by Jon Singleton, who last played for Houston in 2015. Joey Weimer walked with the bases loaded to score one. Blake Perkins hit his first Major League home run, a grand slam, not to be confused with Perkins Restaurant breakfast to put Milwaukee up 9-1.
The Reds got two runs in the bottom of the third.
McLain hit a line drive to center field that Wiemer just whiffed on for a triple. He scored on Jonathan India's ground out. Jake Fraley hit his sixth home run of the season.
William Contreras hit his seventh home run in the fourth.
Ashcraft pitched four innings, allowing 10 runs on nine hits and four walks.
The Reds scored three runs against Trevor Megill.
Megill walked two the first two batters in the sixth inning. He hit Curt Casali, the third batter of the inning to load the bases with no outs. Kevin Newman hit a long fly to right to score Stuart Fairchild. Will Benson advanced to third. Benson was run down at on a ground ball to Megill but it allowed Casali to take third with McLain going to second. Jonathan India's single scored them both.
India got the Reds' eighth stolen base of the game, swiping second. He was running on the next pitch to third when the pitch to Fraley got away from Contreras. India appeared to score but home plate umpire, John Libka ruled the ball went out of play. The Reds appealed but the call was upheld, resulting in the Reds' ninth stolen base of the game. Fraley's bid for his fourth hit of the game was a line drive caught by Miller at second base.
It is the most stolen bases in a game for the Reds since the stole nine bases against the Dodgers on May 30, 1976. The record is 10 on May 29, 1913 at St. Louis.
Eduardo Salazar kept the Reds' hopes alive with three innings of one-hit relief. Kevin Herget pitched two scoreless innings.
Steer drove in his second run of the game with a ninth inning single to score Fraley, who walked and went to second on a wild pitch by Jake Cousins. Nick Senzel singled to bring the tying run to the plate with no outs.
Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell was forced to bring his closer Devin Williams into the game, now a save situation. He came in with nine saves in nine chances. Pinch hitter Tyler Stephenson, struck out swinging. Benson drew a walk to load the bases. TJ Hopkins hit for Casali, making his Major League debut, just called up today. Hopkins took a 3-2 pitch off the plate to force in a run. Newman struck out swinging. Leaving the game in the hands of McLain, who struck out swinging.
With all the publicity surrounding Ely de la Cruz and Christian Encarnacion-Strand it was TJ Hopkins, drafted out of the University of South Carolina with the Reds' ninth pick in 2019, who got the call when TJ Friedl was placed on the Injured List with a tight hamstring.
Bell put Hopkins in to pinch hit with the game on the line.
"Around 1:45 today they told me," Hopkins said. "I was looking for a pitch I could drive but not trying to do too much, trying to stay in the middle of the field. I think he just trusted me. It wasn't intimidating, not at all. It really hasn't set in. Maybe later tonight it will set in a little more."
"Obviously we know TJ. He is from our organization. I very much trusted every thing I heard about TJ. I know TJ but people know him a lot better. He will give you a tough at bat. He's having a really nice year. It really hasn't mattered who the pitcher is, he'll give you a great at bat. I put him into the fire against one of the best in the game. He had an at bat he'll always remember. It almost led to a victory."
Hopkins was hitting .341 at Louisville with seven home runs and 27 RBI in 50 games. His slash line is .341/.437/.540.
No comments:
Post a Comment