Reds Drop To 500 With A Loss To The Cardinals Their Fifth Straight

 

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The Reds fell short for the fifth straight game as the St. Louis Cardinals edged the Reds with a 4-2 win. Andrew Abbott has pitched very well this season but couldn't stop the Reds' losing streak which extended to a season-high five games. 

It is the first time the Reds have been at the .500 mark, since they were 46-46 on July 8. They are now 68-68 and only a half game ahead of the Cardinals.

Abbott got out of a one-out bases loaded jam with a unusual double play. Ivan Herrera singled with one out and reached third on a double by Lars Nootbaar. Willson Contreras walked to load the bases. Jordan Walker popped up to the infield and was declared out automatically on the infield fly rule. Runners can advance at their own risk with no force play. Abbott backed down the mound as all four infielders converged. The ball fell behind Abbott, who picked it up and threw home. Herrera, the runner at third started home but stopped and went back to third. Nootbaar was standing on third and Contreras went to second. Jose Trevino threw to second and Herrera had to vacate the base because there were two runners on third base. Matt McLain threw him out easily at home to end the inning.

The Reds scored in the bottom of the first. Noelvi Marte singled with out out. Elly De La Cruz singled.  Miguel Andujar hit a one hopper back to the pitcher, who dropped it and took the force at third, instead of the double play with the hobbled Andujar (quad strain) running to first. Gavin Lux doubled to put the Reds ahead.

Abbott lost control in the fourth inning and gave up the leave. He walked two and hit Pedro Pages to load the bases with two outs. Rookie Nathan Church, hitting .107 in just 29 at bats, grounded a single into center field to put the Cardinals ahead.

"It was a bad game on my part," Abbott said. "I was fighting tempo and not executing pitches."

Still Abbott could have escaped with nothing but the two-out single with the bases loaded spoiled the outing. He dropped to 8-5 on the season.

"His fifth (and last) was his best inning," Terry Francona said. "He had his stuff from the get go that inning but a lot of deep counts. I think he had 86 pitches after four. It was not Abbottesque. Saying that, the runs the got was from the number nine hitter batting lefty."

Scott Barlow in his 66th game relieved Abbott, who pitched five innings allowing two runs on three hits, four walks and a hit batter. He struck out seven.

Barlow loaded the bases by issuing two walks and a single but he struck out Pedro Pages and Masyn Winn to keep the game where it was.

Contreras 20th home run stretched the lead to two runs against Connor Phillips.

Matt McLain retrieved the run with his 12th home run of the season in the bottom of the seventh. It was his first home run in 31 games since he homered against the New York Mets on July 18.

Pages hit his second home run in two games with two outs in the eighth off Zach Maxwell. It is 11th home run of the season and fifth in August.

"I thought they both (Phillips and Maxwell) threw the ball well but both gave up home runs on a hanging breaking ball," Francona said.

The Reds started the ninth with singles from Spencer Steer and Ke'Bryan Hayes but Will Banfield was asked to sacrifice bunt to move both runners into scoring position but he bunted hard to the pitcher who got the force at third base. McLain forced the runner at third and TJ Freidl bounced out to Kyle Leahy, who earned the save.

"I just thought the bunt was our best chance to tie the game," Francona said.