There is a simple way to sum up the Cincinnati Reds’ 7-0 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday.
The Diamondbacks hit three homers. The Reds didn't have a runner touch third base until there were two outs in the ninth inning.
Following a rain delay that lasted one hour and 40 minutes, it was a quiet night for a Reds offense that totaled 21 runs in their first two games against Arizona at Great American Ball Park. The Reds totaled five hits, but one incredible catch by center fielder Alek Thomas cost them two runs.
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Joey Votto was robbed of a two-run homer in the first inning by Thomas, who sprinted to the wall, timed his jump and made a leaping catch with his outstretched arm past the wall to make the highlight grab. This wasn’t one of those catches in front of the wall where everyone thinks the ball would’ve landed in the seats. Thomas reached past the wall and brought it back.
It was one of those plays that left everyone on the field in a state of shock. Art Warren, a few feet away in the Reds’ bullpen, initially raised his arms to celebrate before realizing Thomas made the catch. Reds reliever Jeff Hoffman stood up and covered his mouth with his hand.
Diamondbacks pitcher Merrill Kelly may have shown the most surprise. Kelly saw the play, turned toward catcher Jose Herrera, and appeared to ask, “Did he catch it?” He continued to stand in place as he looked back toward Thomas in the outfield. Finally, he walked back to the dugout with a smile whipped across his face.
Thomas doubled down on his defense against Votto in the fourth inning, taking away a hit with a diving catch as he ran forward toward the infield on a sinking line drive. The two players carried a conversation when Thomas drew a fourth-inning walk and singled in the sixth inning.
Votto hit a leadoff double into the right-center gap to begin the seventh inning and said something to Thomas after he reached second base. It took three at-bats before he finally got one past Thomas, a 22-year-old rookie.
The Reds, who scratched Brandon Drury (right Achilles soreness) and Nick Senzel (low back strain) from their lineup before the game, scratched across one hit in six innings against Kelly in front of the crowd of 11,957. It was Kelly’s first scoreless outing since April 30. Kelly had a 1.27 ERA in five starts in April and a 6.31 ERA in five starts in May.
Mike Minor, making his second start of the season, lasted only 4 1/3 innings. He permitted three hits, but two of them were homers. He walked three, hit one batter and struck out four.
The 34-year-old lefthander labored through a 34-pitch fourth inning. Christian Walker, the second batter of the inning, crushed a two-run homer to left field to give the Diamondbacks their first lead in this week’s series. The homer came on a changeup that hung at the top of the strike zone.
In the fifth inning, Josh Rojas was granted extra pitches when third baseman Matt Reynolds was unable to catch a foul ball near the wall’s netting. Rojas took advantage by drilling a solo homer over the right-field fence on a changeup.
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