NEW YORK – The Cincinnati Reds had a nightmare defensive inning that led to five runs, had two runners picked off first base and lost the lead twice Wednesday.
If that wasn’t enough, two wild pitches bounced past catcher Tyler Stephenson in the 10th inning to allow the game-winning run to score from second base in a 7-6 loss to the New York Yankees.
With Giancarlo Stanton at the plate in a 0-2 count, the guy who hit a game-tying homer in the eighth inning, Reds reliever Alexis Díaz bounced two sliders in the dirt. The first one squeaked between Stephenson’s legs. DJ LeMahieu scored on the next pitch when it deflected off Stephenson’s right shin guard.
“He executed his pitch, down and away, nothing out over the middle the plate,” Stephenson said. “It’s my job.”
More:Alexis Díaz shows why he could be the future Cincinnati Reds closer in win over Yankees
More:Jonathan India, Reds shock Yankees with 9th-inning comeback for 'our best win of the year'
More:'Things are going to work out': Jose Barrero looking to rebound from Triple-A struggles
Díaz’s first wild pitch opened first base, but the Reds opted not to intentionally walk Stanton in a 1-2 count with Gleyber Torres on deck. If the count was different, manager David Bell said they likely would’ve put Stanton on base to load the bases with one out.
“You get to two strikes with the way Díaz has been throwing the ball,” Bell said, “he has such an ability to get strikeouts, definitely didn’t want to take that count away from him.”
It’s tough enough to beat the Yankees, who set a franchise record with 62 wins before the All-Star break, but the Reds gave them three extra outs in the bottom of the third inning.
After the first two Yankees hitters reached base, Reds lefty Mike Minor struck out Aaron Judge on a called third strike and induced a ground ball that should’ve turned into an inning-ending double play. Second baseman Jonathan India whiffed on stopping the ground ball, which allowed a run to score and he was charged with an error.
Two batters later, Gleyber Torres lined an RBI single into left field. Third baseman Brandon Drury cut off the throw from left field and baserunner Anthony Rizzo was caught in no man’s land between second and third base. Rizzo stopped moving, apparently conceding the out.
Except Drury threw the ball to second base instead of running at Rizzo. After beginning the rundown, no Reds fielder was in position to cover second base and Rizzo slid back safely to continue the inning.
“I should’ve ran after Rizzo and just ran him back,” Drury said. “I saw him pause, I knew the run was going to score, so in the heat of the moment I stopped and I just got rid of it.”
Four batters after India’s error and two batters after the botched rundown, the Reds’ lead was gone when Isiah Kiner-Falefa hit a three-run double into center field.
It was a 42-pitch inning for Minor, which required 23 more pitches following India’s error.
“It happens. I’ve played a long time, so I can’t let that bother me,” Minor said. “I have to pick those guys up and I didn’t.”
Minor allowed one earned run in four innings, striking out six and walking three. After the disastrous third inning, Minor was the first one out of the dugout for the bottom of the fourth inning and pitched a scoreless frame.
“The (box score) won’t say it, but possibly his best start,” Bell said, “just the way he attacked their lineup.”
The Reds were far from perfect, but they’ve played some of their best baseball throughout the past week. They scored four runs against Luis Severino, who was pitching with lower velocity and left after two innings with shoulder tightness.
More:Cincinnati Reds lose their Triple-A pitching coach to USC Trojans
More:Two years after the Cincinnati Reds traded Stuart Fairchild, he's on their big-league roster
More:How Reds center fielder Nick Senzel turned around his season over the last month
Kyle Farmer opened the second inning with a no-doubter homer to left field, a 431-foot blast. Mike Moustakas followed three pitches later with a rocket that flew into the second deck in right field. Then it was Stuart Fairchild’s turn, dropping a homer over the left-field wall for his first career homer.
It was the first time the Reds had three consecutive batters homer since Eugenio Suárez, Jesse Winker and Derek Dietrich teamed up for it on May 5, 2019.
“We’ve had a lot of time this year with guys being out,” Drury said. “It’s part of baseball, it’s a long season, it happens. When we’re healthy and all in the lineup together, I definitely really like this team a lot.”
Even after the Yankees scored five runs in the third inning, a deflating feeling when the Reds opened with a four-run lead, they rallied to retake the lead in the fifth inning on a Joey Votto RBI double and a sacrifice fly.
All the self-inflicted woes made it a painful way to end their season-long five-game winning streak.
“We put ourselves in a position where we had a shot to win that against a really good team,” Bell said. “Really, any way you lose the game is disappointing. There is no real good way to do it.”
Source link
