Reds Sink In The Bay But Wait

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Dateline: Cincinnati  

The Reds fell to a season low 10 games under .500 with a 9-3 loss against the woeful San Francisco Giants in a three game sweep.

But wait for the first time since Smokey Burgess off Freddy Rodriguez hit three run home run at Wrigley Field, the Reds next destination, have the Reds won a game when trailing by six runs going into the ninth.

Another Rodriguez, Hector hit his second home run of the game that sparked a seven run rally.

 Elly De La Cruz single against Spencer Bivens was his third hit of the game. Sal Stewart and JJ Bleday walked. Bleday got a strike three overturned on appeal. Eugenio Suarez belted a grand slam off Dylan Smith. It is Suarez 19th homer of the season. It was his 10th of his career and second of the season.

The Reds weren’t finished. 

Dane Myers beat out an infield hit and went to second on a throwing error. Matt McLain’s intent was to bunt the tying run to third but he beat it out for a hit. He stole second. Jose Trevino drove in his second run of the game with a sacrifice fly. McLain moved to third with one out carrying the go ahead run. Tyler Stephenson lined a single to left to put the Reds up 10-9.

Jose Pagan nailed the lid shut for his 17th save.

Prior to the uprising. The Reds managed three run. Trevino singled home a run in the second after a McLain sacrifice. Rodriguez hit his second home run of the year in the third. Stewart hit a sacrifice fly to become the first Reds’rookie to drive in 100 runs since Jim Greengrass did it in 1953.

The Reds had struggled all series with a Giants’ bullpen that was over used. The first two games of the series Giants starting pitchers left early with injuries, leaving the bullpen to cover 14 innings. They did so effectively but were on fumes against the Reds Wednesday.

The Reds were shutout in the first game and carried a zero into the ninth inning on Tuesday (082526). Stewart hit his 28th home run to end a 23 inning drought. It was Stewart’s 99th RBI.

The Giants, who were mostly made up of Triple A Sacramento River Cats, hit a pair of two-run home runs off Nick Lodolo. 

Jonah Cox hit one in the second inning. It erased the Reds early one run lead. Rafael Devers hit his 28th of the season and third of the series with a man on in the fourth.

Lodolo allowed four runs in four-plus innings.

Julian Garcia surrendered number nine hitter Shea Whitcombs third home run of the year to give the Giants a 6-2 lead.

Tony Santillan kicking off the rust in his second appearance after missing time with a strained left oblique, gave up a bases loaded double with two outs in the bottom of the eighth to Drew Gilbert, who was a double machine in the series. Santillan picked up a win just as Joe Nuxhall did against the Cubs on that day in 1958.

Chase Burns Falls In Short Outing

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Dateline: Cincinnati  

The San Francisco Giants scored five run with the first 11 batters and coasted to a 5-0 win to start the three game series.

Chase Burns had a rough start.

The first four Giants’ batters got hits. Drew Gilbert led off the game with a ground rule double. Rafael Devers singled him to third. Jung Hoo Lee singled to plate Gilbert. Turner Hill doubled off the right field wall. JJ Bleday played the carom and relayed to Matt McLain who threw Lee out at the plate after Devers scored. Drew Cavanaugh and Nate Furman struck out.

 Burns got the first two batters in the second inning. Christian Koss singled. Gilbert, who played with Burns at the University of Tennessee, hit his second double. Devers followed with his 27th home run to put the Giants up, 5-0.

Gilbert and Burns played at Tennessee for Giants manager, Tony Vitello.

Giants starter Carson Whisenhunt had to leave the game with two outs and two on in the third inning, favoring his left elbow.

Jason Foley took over to face Dane Myers, who struck out.

Grant McCray tripled to lead off the fourth inning. Koss hit a dribbler to Burns who knocked it down. Koss reached first as McCray held third. Gilbert hit a ground ball to McLain who was drawn in. He fielded the ball close enough to Koss to reach out and tag him. McLain looked the runner back to third and had enough time to flip to Sal Stewart for a double play. 

Terry Francona chose to relieve Burns with Sam Moll who retired Devers with a ground out.

Burns allowed a career high nine hits in 3 2/3 innings. His five runs allowed raised his season ERA to 2.77. He walked one and struck out five. 

It was the fourth time Burns allowed a season-high five runs in his shortest start of the year.

The Giants used four more relievers to complete the Reds 14th white wash of the season. The Reds had five hits all singles. 

Former Red Reiver Sanmartin, Ryan Walker, Carson Seymour and Dylan Smith allowed three hits and a walk.

The Reds bullpen, Moll, Julian Garcia and Emilio Pagan who needed an inning of work allowed just a single the rest of the game.

The Reds Michael Toglia will have surgery to repair a torn right labrum and will miss the rest of the season.

Michael Toglia To IL

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Dateline: Cincinnati  

The Reds placed Michael Toglia on the 10-day injured list with a dislocated right shoulder.

Toglia injured the shoulder making a diving catch in the first inning in Friday(082126) against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

 The Reds recalled switch hitting infielder/outfielder Ivan Johnson from Triple A Louisville.

Toglia had three hits, two doubles in 26 at bats. He played in 10 games.

Johnson has played in 12 games with the Reds and has a single in 12 at bats.

He is hitting .255 in 71 games at Louisville with eight doubles and 11 home runs.

JJ Bleday Hits For The Cycle As Reds Roll Diamondbacks

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Dateline: Cincinnati  

The Reds JJ Bleday hit for the elusive cycle as the Reds cut the head off the Arizona Diamondbacks 11-5.

Bleday doubled off Arizona starter, Michael Soroko in the first inning driving Elly De La Cruz. He tripled in the third to drive in Sal Stewart in the third. Bleday singled in the fourth and hit his 21st home run in the sixth. 

It was the fourth cycle in baseball this season. It was the Reds’ first since De La Cruz did in on June 23, 2023.

 The offensive assault helped the Reds build a 6-0 for Reds starter Rhett Lowder.

Lowder gave up Nolan Arenado’s 21st home run in the bottom of the fourth.

But the Reds got that run back against former teammate Zack Littel, on De La Cruz’ 21st home run.

The Diamondbacks scratched out a run in the fifth.

The Reds got that back too.

Bleday led off the sixth with his 21st home run, giving him the last piece of the cycle and three RBI for the game.

Arenado reached base in the bottom of the sixth on catcher’s interference by Tyler Stephenson. Tim Tara followed with his eighth home run.

Lowder finished with a win and a quality start. He pitched six innings, allowing four runs, three earned on six hits and a walk with one strikeout.

The Reds expanded the lead with his first career home run to lead off the seventh.

Stephenson scored De La Cruz with a single. Matt McLain hit his 13th home run off Dennis Santana.

Luis Mey pitched a scoreless seventh.

Tony Santillan allowed a run in his first appearance back from a strained left oblique.

TeJay Antone retired the side in order, striking out Arenado to finish the win.

Eric Davis hit for the cycle on June 2, 1989 against the San Diego Padres. The Reds have had just three in 37 years.

The Reds Did Not Forfeit As The Score Suggests

     

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Dateline: Cincinnati  

The Reds could have had a group outing at Roman’s Oasis in Goodyear and skipped the series opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks for all the good it did them to show up.

The 9-0 final score is the same score that is recorded as a forfeit. The Reds were nice enough to show up to give the good people of Phoenix something to watch while escaping the heat in air conditioned Chase Field.

 The Diamondbacks singled Reds’ starter, Nick Lodolo, to help Los Serpientos circle the bases six times on 10 hits in 3 1/3 innings.

Jordan Lawler did hit a two-run home run, his second of the season and Ryan Waldschmidt hit a double but eight singles and four stolen bases did most of the damage.

On the other hand, left hander Eduardo Rodriguez improved to 13-4 with 5 2/3 innings of shutout baseball. He allowed four singles. The Reds got lead off singles by Sal Stewart and Dane Myers in the fourth but stranded them. Light hitting TJ Friedl got his first hit in 32 at bats and Ke’Bryan Hayes singled in the fifth but Elly De La Cruz hit into a double play to end the inning.

The Diamondbacks bullpen finished off the Reds.

The Reds started and ended the game with three starters hitting under .200.

Matt McLain, Hayes and Michael Toglia, who was replaced by Friedl after he separated his right shoulder while making a diving catch in the bottom of the first. Toglia started the game hitting .115. McLain finished the game at .198. Friedl finished at .160 and Hayes at .155.

Will Banfield had his first at bat of the season, striking out to end the non contest.

The Reds were shutout for the third time in nine games. They scored just one run in another three games in the period.

The Reds are dead last in baseball in batting average .225 and on base percentage .305.

Tony Santillan Is Back

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Dateline: Cincinnati  

Tony Santillan’s fight with his left oblique is over.

The Reds re activated him from the injured list and optioned Zach Maxwell back to Louisville. 

life."

Santillan allowed one earned run in his last 5 2/3 innings. He totaled a 1-4 record with a 5.23 ERA in 34 appearances with five saves. 

 

He was placed on the injured list on June 26. He missed 49 games. The Reds were 24-25 in those games.

Dane Myers Dropped A Game Ending Fly To Open The Floodgates For the Cardinals

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Dateline: Cincinnati  

Dane Myers has saved several games with great catches in center field. On this day his muff with two outs in the ninth with the Reds leading 5-4 turned into an ugly 10-9 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.

Jordan Walker hit his 26th home run and second in two games in the third inning, putting Reds' starter, Brady Singer, in a 4-0 hole.

Rookie JJ Wetherholt was hit by a pitch in the first inning. Ivan Herrera singled. Wetherholt went to third on a flyball to deep right by Alec Burleson. He scored on a groundout by Walker for an RBI.

Walker forged a tie with Sal Stewart at the top of the MLB RBI list with 94, passing teammate Burleson, who has 92. The numbers were temporary.

Wetherholt singled and Herrera walked in front of Walker's homer to straight away center field.

The Reds got to Cardinals starter Michael McGreevy in the sixth inning. Bottom of the order hitters, Hector Rodriguez and Ke'Bryan Hayes singled to open the frame. Elly De La Cruz struck out on a checked swing on a 3-2 pitch. Stewart walked to load the bases. JJ Bleday singled to score Rodriguez. After Tyler Stephenson struck out. Matt McLain hit his 12th home run of the season and second career grand slam a 5-4 lead that they carried into the ninth inning.

Singer pitched six innings and allowed four runs on five hits, one walk and two hit batters, one of which scored. He was in line for a win until the improbable happened.

Julian Garcia and Tejay Antone pitched scoreless innings and with De La Cruz as the DH. Stewart and McLain turned double plays in the sixth and seventh inning.

The wheels fell completely off in the ninth. 

Brock Burke made his league leading 65th appearance and was looking for his third save of the year.

Pinch hitter Jose Fermin singled to open the inning. The third hit batter was Bryan Torres, who was trying to bunt. The Reds challenged the hit batter call on the field, claiming it was foul. The call was upheld. Blaze Jordan hit a fly to deep center. Myers caught it and nearly threw out Torres going to second base. Burke struck out pinch hitter Everson Pereira. Wetherholt lifted a fly to left center. TJ Friedl and Myers were right there. It glanced off Myers glove for a two-base error and put the Cardinals in the lead.

Burke never got that third out. 

Burleson singled to drive in Wetherholt for his 93rd RBI. Walker and Joshua Baez walked to force home a run. 

Zach Maxwell came in and gave up Fermin's second single of the inning that scored two more runs. Masyn Winn struck out to end the inning after six runs crossed the plate.

The Reds battled back against George Soriano.

McLain walked but Michael Toglia struck out. Dane Myers walked an Friedl struck out swinging. He has no hits in his last 29 at bats.

Eugenio Suarez pinch hit and single in McLain for his 1,000th career RBI. De La Cruz walked. 

Riley O'Brien replaced Soriano.

Stewart reclaimed the major league lead in RBI at 96 with a two-run single. Bleday and Stephenson walked to make it a one-run game. McLain hit a hard line drive to right that Walker caught on the run to give O'Brien his National League leading 33rd save.

Sal Stewart Blasts Key Blow To Even The Series

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Dateline: Cincinnati  

Sal Stewart's amazing rookie season exploded in front of his closet rival for Rookie of the Year with a three-run home run that the Reds used to take a 5-4 win to even the series at two games apiece with the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Reds went through the bottom of the fifth inning with four lonely singles in the last 14 innings, after being shut out on three singles on Tuesday. Matt Liberatore, the Cardinals' starter,  struck out the side in the fourth and two more in the fifth. 

"There was a lot of frustration, you know," Stewart said. "We haven't been playing the way we're capable of, starting with myself. It was exciting putting some runs on the board."

Stewart erased the frustration.

"One Sal is a really good hitter. I know he relishes those opportunities," Terry Francona said. "I'm thankful he does because up to that point we really had nothing going. It was like the last couple days, I mean McLain swung it and that was really all we had. Elly hit the line drive they couldn't quite get. Sal had a beautiful swing. We hung on for dear life."

Matt McLain doubled off the base of the left field wall in the sixth. Elly De La Cruz lined a single off the glove of  JJ Wetherholt, who is another candidate for Rookie of the Year,  into right field. McLain had to hold to make sure it wasn't caught. Sal Stewart hit a 2-1 pitch 422 ft off the base of the batter's eye in center field for his 27th home run and collected RBI's 92,93 and 94 to take over the Major League lead from Burleson.

Chase Burns retired the first seven Cardinal batters he faced. Blaze Jordan got an infield single that bounced off Eugenio Suarez glove and fielded by De La Cruz in short left field but he had no play. 

Wetherholt doubled to the gap in right centerfield. Dane Myers played it off the wall and threw to De La Cruz, who relayed the ball home in plenty of time to get Jordan for the third out.

The Cardinals got to Burns in the fourth inning. Alec Burleson walked and moved up on a wild pitch. With two outs Nathan Church singled through the hole at shortstop to score Burleson. Masyn Winn walked to send Church to second. Bryan Torres singled to right to plate Church.

The Reds didn't get a base runner until number nine hitter, Matt McLain singled to center. Cardinals' starter, Matt Liberatore, struck out De La Cruz.

It took Burns, who was trying to earn his 15th win against two losses, off the hook.

He pitched five innings, allowed two runs on six hits and two walks. He struck out six. Burns has pitched at least five innings in each of his 24 starts. He has allowed two runs or fewer in 20 of them.

"I try to do that every time, six innings, five innings," Burns said. "I was just trying to make good pitches. I was almost out of gas."

He threw 104 pitches.

"His pitch count was really high," Francona said. "They (Cardinals) did a really good job. They made him work really hard. That's probably the last thing I wanted him to do was throw 100 in five innings. That's tough. The kid competes like crazy. He got through that which was huge."

Brock Burke walked two Cardinals in the seventh inning but stranded them. Luis Mey walked one but struck out three in the eighth inning.

The Reds added insurance in a steady drizzle in the bottom of the eighth against Justin Bruihl. 

Jose Trevino singled up the middle. He went to second on a wild pitch. McLain bunted to third, Jordan bobbled it then threw it down the first base line. Trevino trotted home. McLain stole second and went to third on De La Cruz deep fly to center. Stewart was walked intentionally. Dane Myers laid down a squeeze bunt that scored McLain and no one covered first. Suarez walked to load the bases. Defensive specialist Ke'Bryan Hayes ran for Suarez. Tyler Stephenson took the count full but was called out on strikes. 

Jose Pagan survived some drama in the top of the ninth. He hit Wetherholt with a pitch, leading off the inning. Pagan retired Ivan Herrera on a routine fly to center. Burleson hit a smash that Stewart knocked down, he recovered to step on the bag to finish Burleson. Jordan Walker hit his 25th home run to make it a one-run game. It gave him 90 RBI on the season, two behind Burleson's team-leading 92. Jose Fermin brought on the drama with a double to left field. He went to third on a wild pitch as the count went full to Masyn Winn. Win hit a slow roller to Pagan, who had mud caked on his spikes. Pagan threw him out to earn his 15th save of the season. 

He has nine saves and three wins in his last 12 appearances.

Tony Santillan And Graham Ashcraft Nearly Ready For Prime Time

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Dateline: Cincinnati  

The Reds bullpen has been stretched to its limit this season to the point that the organization began to stretch late inning relievers, Luis Mey and Zach Maxwell out to pitch more than one inning.

In the meantime, Tony Santillan has been recovering from a strained oblique and Graham Ashcraft is nursing a strained elbow.

Santillan pitched a scoreless inning on Tuesday (081826) against Indianapolis. He struck out two and threw 15 pitches, nine for strikes. It was his third rehab outing.

"The plan is to activate him on Friday, give him a couple days to regroup and make sure he's ok. We will activate him on Friday in Arizona," Terry Francona said. 

Ashcraft threw live batting practice at Great American Ball Park on Thursday (081526). 

"He will throw to hitters Saturday in Louisville," Francona said. "He will pitch in Louisville on Tuesday (082526)."

Maxwell pitched 2 1/3 innings on Tuesday night. He had pitched 2 1/3 in Louisville in his last time out.

"He threw 41 pitches and had five days off," Francona said. "Brad (general manager Meador) have talked a lot about this. A lot of time the guys that are eighth and ninth pitchers at Triple A, when they come up here, they're not. You need them to go longer. They have been trying to make a point of stretching those guys out. Like Mey, the same thing. I think it helps them to throw strikes. It doesn't limit you to making a roster move after somebody pitches."

Spencer Steer will see a specialist in Arizona about his wrist injury.

Andrew Abbott Got No Support And Falls To The Cardinals

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Dateline: Cincinnati  

Finally with good weather while he was on the mound, Andrew Abbott pitched as well as he ever has. The problem was the Reds' anemic offense mounted no threat at all as the Reds fell to the St. Louis Cardinals, 3-0.

Abbott handled every other batter in the Cardinals' lineup but Masyn Winn, who had two doubles (although one was truly a foul ball) and a home run.

The home run would be enough as the Reds have scored one or fewer runs in six of their last 10 games.

In his last three starts, Abbott had to deal with oppressive heat, and heavy rain. He handled each but couldn't survive the lack of run support.

Abbott threw strikes on his first 17 pitches.

"That was the mission tonight to be in the zone," Abbott said. "Get ahead of guys and make them swing at what I want to throw, when I want to throw it. Me and (acting pitching coach Matt) Tracy talked about that this week. I was behind in the count a lot this year and got hurt with the ball in the zone. They can't take a pitch off. They have to be ready to hit."

The Cardinals' Kyle Leahy and the Reds' Abbott traded zeroes until Masyn Winn hit his fifth home run of the season in the fifth inning.

"It was a cutter in. It was a pretty good pitch. You have to tip your hat," Abbott said.

Winn had the first two Cardinals' hits. He hit a double in the second inning.

Leahy gave up singles to Sal Stewart, Ke'Bryan Hayes and Dane Myers in his five innings. He didn't walk a better and struck out six before turning the game over to Ryan Stanek. Leahy won for the 10th time this season.

"We did a good job of getting his pitch count up but didn't have anything to show for it," Terry Francona said. "It was frustrating."

Winn doubled with one out in the seventh inning and scored on a double by Jose Fermin. Abbott was relieved by Zach Maxwell after Fermin's double.

"The ball was foul. I came in and looked at it. I'm not sure if you can challenge it or not," Abbott said. 

He pitched 6 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on four hits with two walks and six strikeouts.

"I thought Abbott was really good," Francona said. "He gave up a solo home run to win but he was in the strike zone with all his pitches. We've got to find a way to score some runs for him."

Maxwell gave up a bloop single to Pedro Pages but retired the last two batters to strand the runners.

Jordan Walker led off the eighth with an infield single. Alec Burleson belted a double to the gap in left center to put runners on second and third with no outs. Joshua Baez drove in the Cardinals' third run with a fly out to center. Maxwell finally got Winn out on a routine fly to right to end the inning.

The Cardinals bullpen pitched four innings of hitless baseball.

Riley O'Brien pitched a perfect ninth for his 32nd save.