In yet another slugfest this week, the Cincinnati Reds fell 13-6 in the series finale with the Toronto Blue Jays Wednesday night. The Reds have now lost their last four series and ten of their last 13 games.
FinalRHEToronto Blue Jays (81-59)13181Cincinnati Reds (70-70)9101W: Shane Bieber (2-1) L: Nick Martinez (10-11)Statcast | Box Score | Game Thread
The Reds got the scoring started early with a big five-run second inning. With one out, Spencer Steer singled to send Gavin Lux to third, who had reached on a fielder’s choice. After a Ke’Bryan Hayes walk, Jose Trevino drove in both runs with a single up the middle. The Reds then kept scoring, with a Matt McLain RBI single to bring home Hayes and a Noelvi Marte double to clear the bases and make it 5-0.
Reds starter Zack Littell started well, striking out four in his first four recorded outs of the game while allowing only one baserunner. It wouldn’t stay that way though. Toronto got on the scoreboard with a third-inning George Springer home run, his third of the series. The Blue Jays just kept chipping away after that, using the home run to do so. Dalton Varsho hit a solo home run in the fourth to make it 5-2. also his third home run of the series. Alejandro Kirk went back-to-back with Varsho to move the deficit to 5-3. After a single by Springer with one out in the fifth, Addison Barger tied the game at 5-5 on a line drive home run to right field.
Nick Martinez replaced Littell after Barger’s home run and promptly gave up a solo home run to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Just like that, the Reds 5-0 lead had turned into a 6-5 deficit. The Blue Jays didn’t let up at the plate either. They would not hit another home run for the rest of the game; however, the Blue Jays did score in every inning for the rest of the game. Martinez, Lyon Richardson, Yosver Zulueta, and Zach Maxwell combined out of the Reds bullpen to allow eight runs over 4.2 innings.
Meanwhile, after allowing five runs in the second inning, Shane Bieber settled down and at one point retired ten Reds hitters in a row. While the Reds had runners on base in every inning except the ninth and scored four runs over three innings after Bieber exited, the Blue Jays’ bullpen still kept the Reds from exploding for another big inning, and it was ultimately the difference in the game.
Key Moment of the Game
The Blue Jays scored four runs off two walks, two doubles, a sacrifice fly and a Steer throwing error in the eighth inning to what would be a 12-6 lead at the time. Although the Reds would score three runs in the bottom of the eighth, it would not be enough to overcome the Blue Jays’ largest scoring inning of the game.
Notes Worth Noting
-John Sadak mentioned on the FanDuel broadcast tonight that it was Littell’s fourth time this season allowing a team to hit three or more home runs against him in a game. Two of those four instances came against the Blue Jays. Littell also has now allowed 34 home runs in 28 starts, the most in MLB.
-De La Cruz’s seven-game hitting streak came to an end tonight, as he went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts.
-If you’re looking for something positive, Noelvi Marte went 2-for-5 with three RBI tonight. He has hit safely in 19 of 23 games, and his average is up to .292 with an .844 OPS on the season.
-With the Mets loss to the Tigers this afternoon, the Reds had a chance to gain a game on the Mets for the final NL wild card spot. However, they instead will be five games back of New York heading into a huge weekend series at Great American Ball Park starting Friday night.
Up Next
Friday, September 4, 6:40 PM EDT:
New York Mets vs Cincinnati Reds
David Peterson (8-5, 3.61 ERA) vs. Andrew Abbott (8-5, 2.65 ERA)
