After five dreadful starts to begin the season, Mike Minor watched the ball clear the center-field wall for a home run in the first inning Friday and he momentarily dropped his head to stare at the ground.
It looked like a “here we go again” moment.
Except it wasn’t. Minor refused to let it turn out that way on a humid 96-degree evening. He didn't give up another run. He bounced back from Austin Riley’s two-run homer and completed six innings.
It was an improvement for Minor, the first time he’s permitted fewer than three runs in a start, but it wasn’t enough to match Atlanta’s Max Fried in a 9-1 loss at Great American Ball Park. The Reds have lost nine consecutive home games, the franchise’s longest home losing streak since 2001.
"I still didn't throw the ball that well," Minor said. "A lot of 2-0 counts, 3-0 counts, behind with guys, but I made a pitch whenever I had to."
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The problem is the Reds need phenomenal starts to win games with the state of their bullpen. It was a one-run game with two outs in the seventh inning before the wheels fell off.
Dansby Swanson lofted a three-run homer that dropped in the first row of seats beyond the center-field wall in the seventh inning off Joel Kuhnel. Luis Cessa allowed three runs in the eighth inning, throwing only one strike in his first 11 pitches. The Reds’ bullpen completed June with a 7.17 ERA, the highest mark in the Majors.
"This game can be really tough when things aren’t going your way, you’re not pitching with a lot of confidence or playing any area of the game without confidence," Reds Manager David Bell said. "It’s just a matter of time before it can turn around. It can seem like an eternity when you’re going through it."
Minor kept his start from derailing with the way he pitched in the third inning. He gave up back-to-back singles to Ronald Acuña and Swanson with one out. Minor fell into a 3-0 count against Matt Olson, the No. 3 hitter in Atlanta’s lineup, before coming all the way back to strike him out with three elevated fastballs.
Next up was Riley, the guy who made him drop his head in the first inning. The first-inning homer wasn’t a poor pitch, a changeup that was beyond the outside corner, but Riley extended his arms and showcased his power.
In a second chance against Riley, Minor mixed his fastball, slider and changeup. On the sixth pitch of the at-bat, a full count, Riley swung through an 86-mph changeup on the outside corner for an inning-ending strikeout in front of 28,606 fans.
"He got to where he felt like he could really trust it and let it go," Bell said. "I think there were points in the game where that really showed up. I think that’s what we can expect. We’ve seen that from Mike for many years. I thought going up against that lineup, sometimes that can really kick it in for you. He knew he had to be at his best and he was."
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Minor retired 11 of his final 13 batters after Swanson’s third-inning single. He allowed six hits and zero walks, striking out three. He relied more on his changeup. It’s typically been his best pitch, but he’s lamented how ineffective it was when he was struggling this year.
"I had to throw the changeup and I had to make it move to the left, away from righties to make it effective," Minor said. "That was my focus tonight."
The Reds failed to do much against Fried, who they faced in Atlanta on Opening Day. A double play erased an error in the first inning. They produced three singles in the third inning, including an RBI hit from Tommy Pham, but that was the last time they had a runner in scoring position against Atlanta’s ace. Fried retired 13 of his final 14 batters.
The nine-game home losing streak extends to June 8. The Reds went winless on their last homestand, dropping three games to Milwaukee and three games to the Los Angeles Dodgers, the first time they didn’t win a game on a homestand of at least six games since 1991.
"We really care about playing well at home for our fans," Bell said. "There is something extra special about winning at home and it means a lot to us, so even though they count as equal, it’s something we want to turn around – we will – and something that will be rewarding once we can get it going here at home."
Friday was the first of 21 home games this month.
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