After Friday night’s game was suspended after the 6th inning, the Reds and Diamondbacks played a sort-of doubleheader on Saturday as they completed Friday’s game before playing the regularly scheduled game on Saturday.
Christian Encarnacion-Strand, who homered on Friday to keep the game alive right before it was suspended by rain, had a walk-off hit in extra innings in the resumed game on Saturday and then was a part of a big offensive explosion as he homered again in the second game. His big day helped Cincinnati sweep Arizona in the doubleheader.
Game 1 (Friday’s game)
Final
R
H
E
Arizona Diamondbacks (31-32)
3
6
0
Cincinnati Reds (31-33)
4
9
0
W: Santillan (1-1) L: Thompson (1-2)
Statcast | Box Score | Game Thread
Arizona’s first hit didn’t come until the top of the 3rd inning with one out. That’s when Tim Tawa hit a chopper that made it about 80 feet that he turned into an infield hit. Two batters later Ketel Marte hit a 2-run home run to put the Diamondbacks up 2-0. Geraldo Perdomo then followed up with a home run of his own to extend the lead.
In the bottom of the inning the Reds joined in on the home run fest as TJ Friedl got all of a 9 MPH fastball from Eduardo Rodriguez. He knew it was gone the second he hit it and he trotted the bases and met Matt McLain at home who had singled earlier in the inning as the home run cut the lead to 3-2.
Cincinnati got a little really going in the bottom of the 4th inning as Christian Encarnacion-Strand lined a single into center and saw Jose Trevino follow up with a single of his own to get two men on with just one out. The Reds couldn’t do anything else as a pop up and strikeout ended the inning.
The next inning saw Garrett Hampson lead off with a double to the wall. TJ Friedl laid down a bunt that moved Hampson to third, but Friedl was out at first after a nice play by Eugenio Suarez. Just like the previous inning the Reds were unable to get the tying run in after a pop up and a strikeout ended the inning.
Nick Lodolo settled back in after Arizona’s 3-run 3rd inning. With Cincinnati failing to take advantage of their chances the lefty kept his team in the game as he tossed shutout innings in the 4th, 5th, and 6th. With rain coming down that was important as the game was potentially going to be stopped at any moment and a 1-run game meant one swing could make a difference in the game being officially over or not.
In the bottom of the 6th inning with the rain coming down it was Christian Encarnacion-Strand who provided that one swing as he hit a game-tying home run to center field. Jose Trevino came through with a single after that and then took second base on a wild pitch that caught Gabriel Moreno on the hand and led to his exit from the game. Will Benson grounded out, but Trevino moved up to third base. After Matt McLain walked, the Reds sent Gavin Lux to the plate to pinch hit for Garrett Hampson. He would battle for seven pitched with reliever Christian Mena, but the at-bat ended on a groundout that stranded runners on the corners.
It was apparent that the umpires didn’t want to have the game put in a delay with the home team having the go-ahead run at third base. But once the inning was over there wasn’t much choice as the infield was soaked and the tarp was pulled. Shortly after the game was suspended until Saturday afternoon.
When the game resumed it was Graham Ashcraft taking over on the mound for the Reds and he made quick work of Arizona with two strikeouts to begin the inning before getting a ground out on a nice play by Gavin Lux. In the bottom of the inning TJ Friedl led off with a walk and moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt by Santiago Espinal. Tyler Stephenson and Spencer Steer then followed up with walks of their own to load the bases. A new reliever came on for the Diamondbacks struck out Christian Encarnacion-Strand for the second out. Jose Trevino hit a comebacker that clanked off of the glove of the pitcher, but with his being among the slowest players in the game Jalen Beeks was able to recover and make the throw to first just in time to end the inning and keep the game tied up.
Arizona was threatening to take the lead in the top of the 8th inning when Tim Tawa doubled to the wall with one out. Graham Ashcraft struck out Alek Thomas, but then he and the Reds both got lucky when Ketel Marte hit a line drive at 108 MPH but it was right at Christian Encarnacion-Strand who snagged it to end the top of the frame.
After the Reds went down in order, Cincinnati sent Emilio Pagan to the mound for the 9th. He would break the bat of Geraldo Perdoma on a soft line out to shortstop to begin the inning and then he had back-to-back strikeouts to end it. It was another 1-2-3 inning for the Reds in the 9th and the game headed to extras.
The Diamondbacks sent Corbin Carroll out to second base to pinch hit for Randal Grichuk against Tony Santillan to start the 10th inning. He would ground out, but Eugenio Suarez advanced to third base. Jose Herrera then walked to put runners on the corners with one out. Santillan would strand both with back-to-back strikeouts.
Cincinnati sent Jake Fraley out to pinch run for Tyler Stephenson and become their “free runner” to start the bottom of the 10th. After Spencer Steer struck out, Christian Encarnacion-Strand came to the plate. Technically still his first game off of the injured list, the man who tied the game up with a home run in 6th inning on Friday night came through with a walk-off double on a line drive just out of reach of a sliding Alek Thomas in center that brought in Fraley for the win.
Key Moment of the Game
Christian Encarnacion-Strand’s home run in the 6th inning. Without that tying the game up, the game ends on Friday night.
Notes Worth Noting
What a game it was for Christian Encarnacion-Strand. He finished the game 3-5 with a game tying home run in a downpour on Friday night that tied the game up. Then after the suspended game resumed he had a walk-off double in the 10th inning.
TJ Friedl continues to just get on base and show off a little bit of everything on the field. He went 1-3 with a homer and a walk. After this game he was hitting .300/.385/.430 for the year with 32 walks and 43 strikeouts.
The bullpen allowed one hit in four innings and had eight strikeouts.
Game 2: Saturday’s Regularly Scheduled Game
Final
R
H
E
Arizona Diamondbacks (31-33)
1
7
0
Cincinnati Reds (32-33)
13
11
0
W: Martinez (4-6) L: Nelson (2-2)
Statcast | Box Score | Game Thread
About an hour after the Reds won on a walk-off they got right back to producing some runs. TJ Friedl and Elly De La Cruz walked in the 1st and both got to trot around the bases when Christian Encarnacion-Strand homered to make it 3-0. Will Benson followed with a walk, Tyler Stephenson doubled, and then Spencer Steer singled to make it 4-0. Jake Fraley drove in a run on a ground out to make it a 5-run game.
Arizona got one of those runs back in the top of the 2nd inning when Eugenio Suarez belted his 17th home run of the season. It was also his 100th career home run at Great American Ball Park.
In the middle of the 3rd inning the training staff came out to check on home plate umpire Manny Gonzalez. The game was delayed for about 10 minutes as Gonzalez had to exit the game and we would later find out that he was in concussion protocol after having been hit by a foul ball in the 1st inning.
Cincinnati had a big 4th inning. The inning began with a walk of Spencer Steer. Jake Fraley followed with a single back up the middle. That prompted a pitching change but it didn’t lead to any difference as Matt McLain laid down a perfect bunt for a single to load the bases. Kendall Graveman then hit TJ Friedl to plate a run. One pitcher later it was 10-1 as Gavin Lux just cleared the fence in right field for a grand slam.
They weren’t finished there, though. Elly De La Cruz doubled into the gap. Will Benson would walk. They would both score on back-to-back singles by Tyler Stephenson and Spencer Steer that pushed the lead to 12-1. Another run came in when Matt McLain grounded out with the bases loaded.
Nick Martinez enjoyed the 12-run lead that he had and he just kept on cruising through Arizona’s lineup. He tossed a shutout 5th and 6th innings to complete his day after 102 pitches. Joe La Sorsa, the Reds 27th man on the roster for the day, took over in the 7th inning. In his first outing in the big leagues this year he walked two batters but avoided any damage in a scoreless inning.
The Reds would send Brent Suter to the mound for the 8th and he’s keep the score at 13-1 with a shutout inning. Lyon Richardson took over in the 9th and he sealed the win with a perfect inning.
Key Moment of the Game
Take your pick of the 5-run 1st inning or the 8-run 4th inning.
Notes Worth Noting
Christian Encarnacion-Strand had himself a big day/2-game return from the injured list. He homered in both games, had five hits, and he drove in five runs.
Tyler Stephenson had three hits in game two.
The offense had more walks than strikeouts in this one. Seven players drove in a run for the Reds.
Nick Martinez had been on a roll since April 22nd before his last outing against the Cubs where he allowed five runs in 4.2 innings. He rebounded well in this game, lowering his ERA to 3.70 on the year.
Up Next for the Cincinnati Reds
Arizona Diamondbacks vs Cincinnati Reds
Sunday, June 8th, 1:40pm ET
Zac Gallen (4-7, 5.13 ERA) vs Brady Singer (6-4, 4.66 ERA)
