Dateline: Cincinnati
The Milwaukee Brewers starting pitchers were never scored upon during the sweep of the Reds finished off with a 6-5 win.
The Reds offensive frustration continued in the batter's box.
The Reds had just two hits in each of the first two games of the series, the Reds totaled two hits in each. In spite of getting 11 hits, 11 walks and a hit batter, the Reds stranded 16 base runners to suffer their first sweep in 45 home series.
Against Shane Drohan, the Reds put the leadoff batter on first base in four straight innings. Most frustrating was the second inning. Spencer Steer singled. Eugenio Suarez hit a bloop double that hit on the line and bounced out of play. Noelvi Marte struck out looking. Tyler Stephenson walked but Matt McLain popped out to the second baseman in shallow right and Blake Dunn struck out looking.
"We had second and third and no outs and couldn't score. I know we left a lot on base but it is better the have chances," Terry Francona said.
Momentum shifted to the Brewers against Rhett Lowder. Jackson Churio hit a one out single. Brice Turang flied out but to center. William Contreras hit a ball to deep center. Dane Myers leaped for it and hit the wall as the ball hit the top of the fence for Contreras eighth home run. Jake Bauers hit a no doubt home run half way up the stands in right for his 14th home run.
The Reds put runners on first and third with one out after Sal Stewart singled after a 12-pitch at bat. Steer hit into a double play. Suarez walked to start the fourth and was stranded. Dunn singled to start the fifth. Drohan was replaced by Chad Patrick. Stewart walked but Steer lined out deep to right.
Lowder gave up a leadoff double to Frelick in the sixth, then got two outs without the runner advancing. Sam Moll came in to face Christian Yelich, who grounded out.
Lowder finished with 5 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on eight hits, a walk and a hit batter. He struck out six.
"The third was tough," Francona said. "He got us through and we were very limited on what we could do tonight. That led to some of the things. We had to be very careful."
The Reds scored off Patrick in the sixth. Marte and Stephenson walked with one out. JJ Bleday hit for McLain and struck out. Dunn doubled over the first base bag to score Marte. Elly De La Cruz hit a low line drive to center field. It held up just enough for Garrett Mitchell to make a diving catch to end the inning.
The Brewers broke the game open in the top of the seventh, Turang hit a one-out triple. The Reds walked Contreras, who was 3-for-3, intentionally. Bauers walked to load the bases. The Reds couldn't get a right hander ready in time so Moll had to face pinch hitter Andrew Vaughn, who is hitting .455 this season against left handed pitching and .290 lifetime. He doubled right over the third base bag to clear the bases.
"The guys I thought he (Moll) would get out he didn't and got the others. It was kind of backwards, tonight," Francona said.
The Reds threatened to get back in the game against Grant Anderson. Stewart and Suarez doubled. Anderson walked Marte and pinch -Nathaniel Lowe to load the bases. Bleday hit a one-hopper off Chad Yoho to end the inning and strand three runners and 13 for the game.
The Reds fought their way back into the game. Edwin Arroyo singled and scooted to second when Frelick bobbled the ball in right. De La Cruz walked. Two ground outs moved the runners with Stewart's scoring Arroyo. Steer belted his 13th home run to make it a one-run game. Joel Kuhnel, who broke in with the Reds, entered to face Suarez, who was hit by a pitch. Marte grounded to short to allow the Brewers to keep the lead.
The lack of scoring in the first two games was compounded by missed opportunities in this one-run loss.
The Reds loaded the bases in the ninth as Kuhnel continued after getting out of the eighth inning. The Reds used up all of its bench with Jose Trevino being the last man to enter the game, when Lowe pinch hit for Stephenson. He led off the ninth with a single through the hole at shortstop. The Reds couldn't pinch run for him. Arroyo was asked to bunt with the worse case scenario was a force at third. He bunted back to Kuhnel who did erase Trevino but it put to runners on with better speed. Bleday walked and De La Cruz walked to load the bases. Myers hit a smash up the middle that Pratt turned into a game ending 6-4-3 double play.
"As we were talking through the strategy in the ninth. Me and Freddie (Benevides) it would be hard to double up Dane. That's exactly what happened," Francona said.
No comments:
Post a Comment