Dateline: Cincinnati
Several struggling Reds came through in dramatic fashion to best the San Diego Padres in a 5-3, 11-inning triumph.
San Moll, Tony Santillan and Zach Maxwell came through with clutch pitching performances.
Sal Stewart and Eugenio Suarez busted slumps with key hits to aid the Reds in breaking a five-game, team struggle with the last three games being snatched from them from the eighth inning on.
Sal Stewart hit a game-winning home run to snap an 0-for-14 slump that included two strikeouts in this game. His clutch home run, blasted to the deepest part of Petco Park was his team-leading 13th of the season. To add to the achievement it was against Yuko Matsui who had aWHIP under one at 0.98 in 19 2/3 innings.
Suarez doubled home a run in the 10th to give him a 3-2 lead. He had one hit in his last 24 at bats.
Maxwell got his first career save by standing the ghost runner.
Tejay Antone earned his first win since June 26, 2021 at Minnesota after recovering from three “Tommy John” surgeries.
The Reds scored first in the second innings against Padre’s starter Lucas Giolito. Matt McLain walked with two outs and stole second base. Tyler Stephenson drove him in with a single.
The Reds had Giolito on the ropes but he escaped with minimal damage. JJ Bleday singled with one out. Sal Stewart and Nathaniel Lowe walked. Spencer Steer hit a ground ball back to Giolito, who sprung a leak. The ball went under his glove for an error as Bleday scored. Giolito rallied by striking out Eugenio Suarez. McLain grounded out.
The Padres got to Chase Burns in the bottom of the third. Fernando Tatis Jr. singled with one out. Jackson Merrill walked tripled into right field corner. Reds’ manager Terry Francona questioned whether it bounced out of play but the umpiring crew ruled that it stayed in play. Manny Machado blooped a game-tying single over a infield playing in.
The scores stayed tied through the sixth inning. Burns chalked up his seventh strikout getting Gavin Sheets looking but Will Wagner walked. Samad Taylor lined a pitch to right center, Blake Dunn saved a run by cutting the ball off. Brock Burke replaced Burns. Miguel Andjar pinch hit for Bryce Johnson. Andjar played for the Reds last season and is very effective against left handed pitchers. The Reds walked Andujar intentionally to load the bases. Freddie Fermin grounded directly to Lowe at first and the Reds turned a 1-2-3 double play to escape.
Burns pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on six hits and two walks. His ERA rose to 2.14. It is the 10th straight start in which Burns allowed two runs or fewer.
The Reds threatened Padres reliever Adrian Morejon in the seventh. Dane Myers delivered his Major League leading eighth pinch hit. He stole second but Steer and Suarez struck out.
The Reds missed a chance in the eighth inning too. McLain walked to open and stole second Stephenson walked. Edwin Arroyo made a good bunt attempt that just rolled foul. He flied out two pitches later. Dunn struck out looking and Bleday flied out.
Caleb Ferguson got in trouble right away in the bottom of the eighth. Machado laced a double past his protégé, Stewart at third base. Sheets grounded out to put Machado at third. Francona ordered Ty France walked. Tony Santillan replaced Ferguson to pitch to Taylor, who appeared to pull of a successful squeeze but the ball hit him. The base umpire had to change the call. Santillan struck out Taylor looking. Santillan broke Jase Bowen’s bat but the bloop was about to fall but Dunn got to it with a sliding catch.
The Reds went out in order in the ninth.
Santillan opened the bottom of the inning. Sung-Mun Song singled wit one out. Tatis has his fourth hit of the game, a single. Sam Moll entered to pitch to left handed Merrill. After being bunted to submission in two straight games Merrill topped a ball that acted just like a bunt and the bases were loaded on the infield single.
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