Offense Missing In Cincinnati

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Dateline: Cincinnati  

The Baltimore Orioles scored three runs by the time the Reds had their third at bat. It was enough to secure a 3-0 win over the Reds.

Trevor Rogers issued five free passes and two hits and the Reds refused the gifts, stranding 10 base runners, including the lone runner to reach first base. As they have all season the Reds produced nothing with the four runners they left in scoring position. The were 0-5 in those situations. They are .220 for the season.

Baltimore scored an unearned run in the first. Gunnar Henderson scored when he stole third and the throw by Tyler Stephenson was high and wide.

Elly De La Cruz walked to lead off the game and scampered to third on Spencer Steer's one out single but Eugenio Suarez and Noelvi Marte struck out to strand them.

"When you get a lot on base and don't cash in. It hurts our chances," Terry Francona said. "We didn't score but we got the starter out of the game but when you're down you get their top tier guys out of the bullpen. It's not a great recipe."

Samuel Basallo hit his 13th home run with Adley Rutschman, who doubled on base in the third inning. It was the 20th home run allowed by Brady Singer in his 17th start. Singer allowed 19 in 32 starts last season. 

Singer pitched five innings, allowing three runs, two earned on three hits and five walks. He struck out six.

"He didn't command right from the get go. Like always he competed like crazy," Francona said. "Five walks keeps him from getting deeper in the game."

"Five walks is pretty embarrassing," Singer said. He fell behind Basallo 3-0 before the home run. "I was trying to get back into the count. I didn't want to walk him after we got the double play."

Pete Alonso hit into a double play before Basallo's two out home run.

Rico Garcia and Yennier Cano allowed two hits over three innings. Two of the Reds hits in the game didn't get out of the infield.

Tyler Wells pitched a 1-2-3 ninth it was his first save since September 28, 2023 against Boston, that clinched the Orioles playoff berth.

Mr. Rogers Enters Brady Singer's Neighborhood To Open Homestand

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Dateline: Cincinnati  

The Reds with chest puffing from finally defeating National League Central rivals, the Milwaukee Brewers, open an nine-game homestand against the American League East Baltimore Orioles.

Singer is 3-7 with a 5.12 ERA in 16 starts this season. Singer has two quality starts in his last five outings. He pitched seven scoreless innings against the Brewers in a 2-1 10-inning loss. His last start was on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He allowed five runs in 4 1/3 innings on nine hits and no walks. He struck out six and allowed two home runs to bring his season total to 19, which is tied for fifth in baseball. It matches the 19 he gave up last season over 32 starts.

Lifetime he made two starts against the Orioles with an 0-2 record and 15.63 ERA, allowing 11 runs in 6 1/3 innings. He last started against Baltimore on June 10, 2023 at Camden Yards. Singer allowed four runs in 4 1/3 innings on six hits and three walks. He struck out four and allowed a home run to Gunnar Henderson, who is leading off for the Orioles tonight.

Trevor Rogers, a 28-year old, left hander will oppose the Reds lineup. He is 5-7 with a 4.99 ERA in 15 starts.

Rogers was the first round pick of the Miami Marlins in 2017 out of Carlsbad High School in New Mexico. He made 80 starts with the Marlins in five seasons with a 15-32 record and a 4.23 ERA.

The Orioles traded Connor Norby and Kyle Stowers to the Marlins for Rogers.

Rogers has two career starts against the Reds. He is 0-1 with a 7.71 ERA. His last start against the Reds was as a Marlin in a 3-2 win over the Reds. He pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on with three walks and two hits, including a two-run home run to Elly De La Cruz.

Reds Lineup:

Elly De La Cruz SS

Sal Stewart 3B

Spencer Steer 1B

Eugenio Suarez DH

Noelvi Marte RF

JJ Bleday LF

Tyler Stephenson C

Matt McLain CF

Edwin Arroyo 2B

Orioles lineup:

Gunnar Henderson SS

Adley Rutschman DH

Taylor Ward LF

Pete Alonso 1B

Samuel Bassallo C

Dylan Beavers LF

Colton Cowser CF

Blaze Alexander 3B

Jackson Holliday 2B

Unlikely Hitters Power Reds In Take Down Of Top Young Pitcher

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Dateline: Cincinnati  

Jose Trevino hit a three-run home run and TJ Friedl homered and singled in a run to stake the Reds to a 7-2 win over the Milwaukee Brewers. 

It was the first win against the first place Brewers this season in seven games and prevented a sweep. 

The pitching match up was the main topic coming into the game.

The 24-year old Jacob Misiorowski for the Brewers and 23-year old Chase Burns who became a 10-game winner for the Reds.

Rookie sensation Sal Stewart took a 1-2 pitch from Misiorowski and turned it into his team leading 17th home run into the right field stands. It also represents Stewart's team leading 60th RBI which ties him for the National League lead.

The Reds poured it on Misiorowski in the fourth inning. JJ Bleday reached first base on a bunt. A questionable scoring decision charged first baseman Jake Bauers with an error. Eugenio Suarez dumped a single into short right field. Nathaniel Lowe popped out but Noelvi Marte singled to drive in Bleday. Jose Trevino hit his first home run of the season over the left field corner for to build a 5-0 lead.

Hot hitting Garrett Mitchell hit his seventh home run of the season to put the Brewers on the score board. Burns gave up a second run in the sixth. Jackson Chourio singled and Brice Turang doubled to score the second run of the game for Milwaukee.

Burns finished with six innings, allowing two runs on four hits and two walks. He struck out four.

TJ Friedl hit his third home run of the season with two outs in the seventh. The blow came against Grant Anderson and pushed the Reds' lead to four runs. It was Friedl's first hit since rejoining the club from Triple A Louisville. 

Sam Moll pitched a scoreless seventh. 

The Reds added a run in the eighth inning against former Red, Joel Kuhnel. Lowe singled. Spencer Steer ran for him. Matt McLain forced him at second. Trevino delivered his third hit, a single and  Friedl drove in McLain with his second hit of the game, the first two hits since May 29.

Moll struck out Christian Yelich on a borderline 3-2 pitch on a successful challenge by Trevino. Tejay Antone came in to face Chourio and got the final two outs. 

Brock Burke made his 43rd appearance the second most in the Major Leagues. The Brewers went down in order in the ninth to seal the win.

Future HOF Hurlers Hook Up In Milwaukee

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Dateline: Cincinnati  

The marquee is ablaze with pitching talent in the finale of the four-game series. The Reds hope to avoid a sweep with the Franchise, Chase Burns. 23, is 9-1  with a 2.36 ERA.

His opponent is equally 9-3 with a 1.47 ERA in 16 starts is Jacob Misiorowski, the 24-year old, who has thrown a pitch clocked at 105 mph.

Burns had his roughest outing against the Pittsburgh Pirates, allowing five runs on nine hits in six innings but he struck out 10. allowed a three-run home run to Brandon Lowe.

Misiorowski beat the Chicago Cubs 2-1 with six innings in which he allowed one run on two hits and four walks. He struck out eight. His run scored on a home run by Seiya Suzuki.

Garrett Mitchell Leads To The Better Team's Win

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Dateline: Cincinnati  

For the Reds there is no sugar coating it.

The Milwaukee Brewers illustrated winning baseball and used Garrett Mitchell's four hits, wisely to beat the Reds for the sixth straight time, 4-2 and clinch the four game series with a hot pitching matchup set for Thursday.

Mitchell accounted for half the Brewers hits with two doubles, a triple and a single. Ashby got the win, his 12 which leads the Major Leagues.

Andrew Abbott was able to keep the Brewers off the scoreboard after he labored through a two-run first inning, however the inning illustrated how the Brewers play winning baseball and the Reds do not, at least to this point.

Abbott issued one of his five walks to Jackson Chourio to start the game. Brice Turang doubled.

The illustration comes right now. The Brewers were fundamentally sound. William Contreras put the ball in play, a soft ground ball to second baseman, Edwin Arroyo, who recorded the out with Chourio scoring and Turang moving to third. Jake Bauers hit a sacrifice fly to left. One hit, they score two runs.

Tyler Stephenson singled in front of a home run by Noelvi Marte. His fifth of the season off Shane Drohan, tied the game.

Abbott pitched out of a bases loaded jam of his own making in the bottom of the inning. Chourio and Turang walked with two outs. Contreras hit an infield single. Elly De La Cruz saved a run by getting to the ball on the outfield grass. Abbott struck out Bauers.

Mitchell hit his first double in the third and went to third on a bad pickoff throw by Abbott. Gary Sanchez walked. Mitchell and Cooper Pratt tried the suicide squeeze. Spencer Steer fielded in quickly and threw home to get Mitchell. The close play held up on appeal.

Mitchell doubled again with two outs in the fifth but was stranded.

This is where the comparison between the Reds and Brewers execution of plays illustrates the reason the Brewers are 14 and a half games better than the Reds in the standings.

Spencer Steer walked. Eugenio Suarez doubled into the left field corner. Chourio got to is quickly enough to make Steer hold at third with no outs. Runners are on second and third with no outs. Stephenson hits a slow roller to Pratt at shortstop. He threw Stephenson out at first. Steer did what he was supposed to do and get down the line and hold but Suarez took off for third. Steer was tagged out and it turned into a rally killing, weird 6-3-2 double play.

"Steer did a good job," Terry Francona said. "He went down the line and held but when Suarez went to third, he had to go."

Aaron Ashby got the final out.

The game was still tied but the chance was squandered.

Abbott pitched five innings, allowed two runs on five hits, but the five walks pushed his pitch count to 96. 

Tejay Antone pitched a scoreless sixth.

Brock Burke took over for the Reds in the seventh it was his National League leading 42nd game. He got the first two outs in the inning but lefty nemesis Andrew Vaughn doubled on a 3-2 pitch. Mitchell drilled a ball to the right centerfield gap for a triple to put the Brewers ahead. Burke threw a wild pitch and Mitchell scored.

The Reds got a leadoff single by De La Cruz in the eighth off Abner Uribe but Sal Stewart hit into a 4-6-3 double play.

Stephenson doubled off Trevor Megill, who earned his 12th save by striking out pinch hitter, JJ Bleday to end the game.

Andrew Abbott The Dragon Slayer? New Position And MLB Debut

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Dateline: Cincinnati 

Andrew Abbott's turn to take on the Milwaukee Brewers monster. The Reds need a dragon slayer. They have lost five straight to Milwaukee.

Abbott is 5-4 with a 3.90 ERA. He pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing four runs, three earned on six hits. and a walk. He struck out six but gave up three home runs. 

Abbott is 3-4 lifetime against the Brewers with a 3.74 ERA in eight starts. He made two starts against Milwaukee last season with a 0-1 record. On June 4, Abbott pitched six innings, allowing five earned runs on seven hits and a walk. He gave up home runs to Jackson Chourio and Daz Cameron in a 9-1 loss. His last start was on August 17, Abbott pitched seven scoreless innings on four hits in the Reds 3-2 10-inning win.

Left hander Shane Drohan pitches for Milwaukee.

He has a 3-2 record with a 3.12 ERA. His last start was against the Reds on June 24. Drohan pitched 4 1/3 innings of scoreless baseball in the Brewers 6-5 win. He allowed five hits and three walks with five strikeouts. It was his lone appearance against the Reds.

The Reds are sending Matt McLain to center field for his first Major League start at that position. Ivan Johnson will get his first Major League start ever in left field. He struck out in his first career at bat on Tuesday.

Reds Lineup:

Elly De La Cruz SS

Sal Stewart 3B

Spencer Steer 1B

Eugenio Suarez DH

Tyler Stephenson C

Noelvi Marte RF

Ivan Johnson LF

Matt McLain CF

Edwin Arroyo 2B

Brewers Lineup:

Jackson Chourio LF

Brice Turang 2B

William Contreras DH

Jake Bauers RF

Andrew Vaughn 1B

Garrett Mitchell CF

Gary Sanchez C

Cooper Pratt SS

Joey Ortiz 3B

Brewers Surgical Offense Performed Excision On Reds

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Dateline: Cincinnati  

The Milwaukee Brewrs sliced, diced and trimmed the Reds in a fifth straight confrontation with a 7-2 win.

Though the Brewers mixed in three extra base hits after a decisive four run fourth inning. They drew their strength from stringing singles together in two scoring innings.

By contrast the Reds had six hits with Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart hogged four of them.

 They were 1-for-8 with runners on second. They never put a man in third.

TJ Friedl was on second with no outs in the third and Stewart was stranded on second after reaching with no outs in the sixth.

Stewart belted his 16th home run in the first inning to give the Reds a quick lead.

That run was more that Brewers starter allowed the Reds in his last start. The Reds had one hit off him last Tuesday.

Rhett Lowder was touched for consecutive hits by Jake Bauers, Garrett Mitchell and Sal Frelick to tie the game.

William Contreras, Bauers, Mitchell and Frelick opened the inning with singles. Frelick’s drove in the go-ahead run. Joey Ortiz high bounder over Stewart’s head at first. The fifth straight hit scored two runs. After David Hamilton was thrown out on a bunt. Christian Yelich walked and Jackson Chourio singled home the fourth run of the inning.

Bauers opened the bottom of the fifth with his 15th home run.

Lowder was removed with two outs in the fifth. He was charged with six runs in 4 2/3 innings. Lowder gave up a career-high 11 hits, 10 were singles. He walked one and struck out a career-high eight, including all three batters in the first on 10 pitches.

Caleb Ferguson entered to strand Ortiz at first.

The Reds fought back against Sproat in the sixth. Elly De La Cruz and Stewart opened with doubles. It was the 61st RBI for Stewart.

The Brewers put two on with one out in the bottom of the sixth  Julian Garcia replaced Ferguson.

Garcia saved the bullpen with 2 2/3 innings but gave up a solo home run to Chourio, his 12th.

Noteworthy in the loss Matt McLain was positioned in center field for the bottom of the eighth. It was the first time as a pro outside of the Arizona Fall League in 2024. He was rehabbing an injury but had to play center to get at bats. He did play center field as freshman at UCLA.

Ivan Johnson, who was called up when  Dane Myers was placed on the injured list. He struck out in his first big league at bat. He is the fifth player to make his Major League debut with the Reds this season, joining Garcia, Edwin Arroyo, Zach McCambley and Jose Franco.

Rhett Lowder Tries To Halt Brewers

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Dateline: Cincinnati  

Rhett Lowder and Brandon Sproat hook up in the second game of this four-game series between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Reds.

Lowder is 3-5 with a 4.81 ERA in 12 starts. His last was against the Brewers was on Wednesday June 24 against them. 

He allowed three earned runs in 5 2/3 innings on eight hits and one walk with six strikeouts. He gave up home runs to William Contreras and Jake Bauers.

 Sproat is 2-4 with a 5.43 ERA in 13 starts. His last start was against the Reds on Tuesday June 23 against the Reds.

He was the winning pitcher in Milwaukee’s 2-0 triumph at Great American Ball Park.

Sproat pitched six innings, allowed one hit with no walks and on hit batter. He struck out 10,

The Reds lineup:

Elly De La Cruz SS

Sal Stewart 1B

JJ Bleday LF

Eugenio Suarez 3B

Nathaniel Lowe DH

Noelvi Marte RF

Edwin Arroyo 2B

Jose Trevino C

TJ Friedl CF

Brewers lineup:

Christian Yelich DH

Jackson Churio LF

Brice Turang 2B

William Contreras C

Jake Bauers 1B

Garrett Mitchell CF

Sal Frelick RF

Joey Ortiz SS

David Hamilton 3B

Reds Roster Ups And Downs

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Dateline: Cincinnati  

The Reds roster is changing with the ebb and flow of injuries. 

As expected Emilio Pagan was activated from the injured list with a healed left hamstring.

He used just 15 pitches in two rehab appearances, the last on Sunday to prove his health.

 Zack McCambley, called up to replace Tony Santillan, was returned to Louisville.

Dane Myers suffered a left shoulder contusion while slamming into the outfield wall, robbing Andrew Vaughn of extra bases in Monday’s game.

His replacement is not Will Benson, not the hot hitting Hector Rodriguez but Ivan Johnson.

Johnson was the Reds fourth round pick in the 2019 draft out of Chipola College in Marianna, Florida. He attended the same high school as Tyler Stephenson at Kennesaw Mountain High School near Atlanta.

Johnson, who was invited to major league camp the last two springs, was hitting .290 in 55 games in Louisville with an on-base-percentage of .388. He hit eight doubles and nine home runs. He stole 11 bases in 13 attempts. In 208 plate appearances he walked 26 times and struck out 49 times.

He played four games in the World Baseball Classic for Great Britain where he played third base.

The Reds drafted him as an infielder but moved him to the outfield. Johnson started 24 games at second base this season, one at third. He started two games in center field and 15 in left field.

Joey Ortiz Dramatic Blast Bums Reds

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Dateline: Cincinnati  

Joey Ortiz picked a dramatic moment to belt the second home run of the season. The blast provided the margin in the Milwaukee Brewers, 5-3 win.

The Brewers are 4-0 against the Reds after sweeping a three-game series in Cincinnati last week.

 Nick Lodolo left the game with a 3-0 lead. He pitched five scoreless innings, allowing one hit. It gave him nine scoreless against the Brewers. In his last start he finished four innings even after Jackson Churio lined a ball of his left wrist.

Lodolo walked four and struck out four, including Churio on a 12-pitch dispute.

The Reds scored early against Brewer starter Robert Gasser. With two outs Spencer Steer singled. JJ Bleday walked. Dane Myers double to score Steer.

Elly De La Cruz hit his 13th home run of the season after Edwin Arroyo singled.

Myers had to leave the game on a cart after he robbed Andrew Vaughn of an extra base hit leading off the fourth.

“It was an amazing catch,” Terry Francona said. “He’s fearless. I’m surprised he held onto it but he paid a price.”

The Reds too x-rays but sent him to the hospital.

“They’re checking for a lot of things, shoulder, neck, ribs. He was really hurting and it wasn’t going away,” Francona said.

Chase Petty surrendered the lead.

Vaughn doubled off Sal Stewart’s glove with one out. Pinch hitter Christian Yelich walked. Pinch hitter Jake Bauers singled to score Vaughn. Petty threw a wild pitch on ball four to Sal Frelick. The inning ended on a fly out by pinch hitter, David Hamilton and strike out of Joey Ortiz to end the sixth.

Brice Turang hit his 12th home run to tie the game in the seventh.

Sam Moll struck out Yelich to end the seventh. He got Bauers to fly out. Hamilton bunted him to second. Tejay Antone gave up Ortiz’ second home run of the season on a 1-1 pitch.

“He threw three breaking balls in a row,” Francona said. “I don’t think he got it where he wanted to.”