Reds finally score some runs, but lose their 4th straight game

The Cincinnati Reds were able to score for the first time in four games. The pitching was strong once again, but the offense came up a few feet short of completing a comeback in the 9th inning as the Reds remained winless in April as they dropped the second game of the series in Milwaukee 3-2 to the Brewers.

Final
R
H
E

Cincinnati Reds (2-6)
2
5
1

Milwaukee Brewers (4-4)
3
5
1

W: Alexander (1-0) L: Martinez (0-2) SV: Megill (1)

Statcast | Box Score | Game Thread

Neither the Reds nor the Brewers would score in the 1st inning. Cincinnati threatened in the top of the 2nd with some help from Tyler Alexander as he walked Jeimer Candelario and then hit Blake Dunn with a pitch to put a runner in scoring position with one out. A grounder led to a force out at second, putting runners on the corner for Santiago Espinal, but as things have been going for the Reds in the past week – he couldn’t come through and popped up to second base to strand both runners.

In the bottom of the inning the Brewers did what the Reds couldn’t. After a single and a walk put two men on for Milwaukee they were able to bring a run in on a single by Garrett Mitchell that made it 1-0.

The home team would get back to things at the plate in the bottom of the 5th inning and it was once again Mitchell in the middle of things. He led off the inning with a double and then scored when Brice Turang hit a 418-foot home run to make it 3-0.

Nick Martinez would record outs against the nest two hitters before Graham Ashcraft entered the game to get the final out of the inning. It was the only batter he’d face as Taylor Rogers entered the game for the bottom of the 6th inning.

Still without a hit, the Reds were facing Abner Uribe to begin the 7th inning. Jeimer Candelario hit the 2nd pitch of the inning about 15 feet and was thrown out. Jake Fraley then came off the bench to pinch hit for Blake Dunn and he popped up to the catcher about 5 feet in front of the plate for the second out of the inning. But then Gavin Lux came through, lining a single into center for a clean hit to break up the no-hitter. Santiago Espinal then hit the ball directly into the ground and it rolled about 18 feet for a second straight single. Much like the 2nd inning when they had two men on and two outs, Cincinnati couldn’t do anything with it as Austin Wynns grounded out to second to end the inning.

Brent Suter took over for the Reds in the bottom of the 7th and fired off a 1-2-3 inning and showed a bit more velocity than he has all spring and regular season, sitting at 88 MPH during the frame.

Bryan Hudson came out of the Brewers bullpen to start the 8th inning and TJ Friedl greeted him with a leadoff single. Spencer Steer then reached base on a fielding error at third base, giving Cincinnati another opportunity to cash in on a runner in scoring position. Elly De La Cruz hit a long foul ball down the right field line that saw Sal Frelick make a catch against the wall in foul territory, allowing both runners to tag up and advance a base. Christian Encarnacion-Strand then did what no Red had done in what felt like decades – he drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to deep center to put Cincinnati on the board. Jeimer Candelario then followed up with a double down the right field line that brought in another run to cut Milwaukee’s lead to 3-2. That would be all the club would get in the inning as a ground out would follow.

Tony Santillan entered the game for the Reds in the bottom of the 8th and worked around a walk to give his team one more chance to claw back at least a run to tie the game up. Santiago Espinal hit a bloop single just out of the reach of a diving Joey Ortiz into shallow left-center with one out. Cincinnati then called on Matt McLain to come off of the bench to pinch hit for Austin Wynns. It almost worked out, but 391 feet to dead center turned into a fly out on the warning track for the second out of the inning. TJ Friedl would fly out four pitches later to end the game for the Reds 4th straight loss to open up April.

Key Moment of the Game

Matt McLain’s fly out in the 9th. Off of the bat at 108 MPH both teams had a feeling about it immediately, but it came up just shy of being a go-ahead home run.