Reds Rallies Rip Rays

 

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Dateline: 1,209 Kilometers from the Gulf of Mexico

Tyler Stephenson drove in three runs with a home run and a single to stake the Reds to a 7-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Reds second straight win pushed their record to 54-50 while the Rays fell to 53-51.

Nick Martinez of the Reds was battling Zack Littell of the Rays.

Littell, who walks very few batters and concentrates on getting soft contact. He has walked just 17 batters in 122 innings coming into tonight. He has walked two or fewer in 60 of his last 63 starts. The flip side Littell has allowed the most home runs in the Major Leagues with 24 coming into the game.

Tyler Stephenson's eight long ball of the season made increased Littell's league lead.

Martinez walked nine-hole hitter Jose Caballero to open the third inning. Chandler Simpson forced Caballero at second, then executed his 32nd stolen base. Johnathan Aranda doubled with two outs to tie the game.

Martinez pitched five innings allowing two runs on four hits and two walks. He struck out five.

"I feel like where I was at the beginning of the season," Martinez said. "It is kinda where I was earlier in the season. I feel like I'm right there to roll. The boys want to win. We're using the trade deadline for motivation. We don't want to be sellers."

"He didn't command as well as he can and that brought the pitch count up but he competes like crazy," Terry Francona said.

Christopher Morel singled with one out in the fourth and stole second. Taylor Walls doubled one out later to give Tampa Bay the lead at 2-1.

The Reds reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the inning. Austin Hays singled to start the inning. Gavin Lux ground ball to first baseman Aranda on his knees. His throw to second hit Hays in the back and both were safe. Spencer Steer bunted for a single to load the bases. Stephenson popped out in the infield. Will Benson beat out a potential double play relay to tie the game. Noelvi Marte singled to score Lux for the third run.

"I said something to him (Benson). If he doesn't beat that out we don't score that inning," Terry Francona said. "We gave ourselves plenty of chances. We didn't cash in on all of them but the more chances you get the more you're going to score."

Lyon Richardson, Graham Ashcraft, Tony Santillan and Emilio Pagan pitched one scoreless inning each.

The Reds added two runs to the cushion in the seventh with Stephenson's two-run single.