CLEVELAND –– With two runners on base in the 10th inning, Cincinnati Reds left fielder Tommy Pham had a shot to be the hero of the game for the first time in a Reds uniform.
Pham has had a solid season, batting .240, but he hasn’t yet had the breakthrough moment that won the Reds a game. Instead of pressing for that moment on Tuesday against the Cleveland Guardians, Pham stayed patient and walked.
Reds designated hitter Mike Moustakas followed Pham at the plate, and Moustakas was up with the bases loaded. Moustakas also hasn’t had a hero moment this year, but he still stayed patient and walked, which brought in the go-ahead run.
That was the difference as the Reds beat the Guardians, 5-4, in extra innings at Progressive Field. Guardians reliever Nick Sandlin walked three batters in the 10th inning and rewarded the Reds' patience at the plate.
"It’s easy to get caught up in the moment," Reds manager David Bell said. "It's really about staying focused. Our guys are good at that. It’s something we’ve talked a lot about. Tommy Pham is a great example. And (Moustakas) had a great walk."
Pham and Moustakas didn’t go for the game-deciding homer, and their poised approach helped save the game for a Reds team that blew the lead in the bottom of the ninth.
The Reds had a 4-2 lead when the Guardians came to bat in the ninth inning, but Reds reliever Art Warren allowed a game-tying homer.
Warren has compared his slider to a three-point shot in basketball. When it’s on, Warren fires away, and he’s willing to throw it on just about every pitch. But when it’s not, Warren hasn’t been the same pitcher.
On Tuesday, Warren started the inning against Guardians star third baseman José Ramírez, and Warren walked him on seven pitches. The next batter, Cleveland first baseman Owen Miller, crushed a game-tying homer on a slider that Warren left right over the middle of the plate.
The Reds offense got the lead back in the top of the 10th, and rookie Alexis Díaz picked up the save to finish the game.
"This game is an example of how you just have to keep going," Bell said. "No matter what happens, you just have to play all nine innings. Tonight it was 10. When you do that, you’re not always going to win games, but it trains you to never let up. That was really tonight’s game."
The extra-innings rally saved the game for the Reds, but they wouldn’t have been in it without 7 ⅔ standout innings by starting pitcher Connor Overton.
Overton says his goal on the mound is to be efficient, throw strikes, allow soft contact and “let the defense work.” The Reds had their best defensive infielders on the active roster on the field behind Overton, and he pitched to contact against the Guardians. The process worked, and Overton pitched 7 ⅔ innings, allowing two runs.
"If they’re going to swing early, I'm going to try and induce weak contact and let the guys behind me make the plays," Overton said. "That’s what they want to do. They’re out there, they don’t want to get cold or tired. I keep them on their toes."
Overton used his seven-pitch mix to keep the Guardians lineup off-balance. Even though he only got nine swings and misses, Overton showed why he’s expected to stay in the rotation for the next few weeks.
He pitched better as the game went on. In the seventh inning, Overton got Ramírez to hit a weak pop out to left field and shortstop Amed Rosario to strike out looking on a fastball that was perfectly placed on the outside corner.
"I feel like every inning was a 10-pitch inning," Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson said. "It was just non-stop. Even the umpire made a comment of how well he was spotting (strikes). If he says that, it means a lot."
With two outs in the eighth inning, Overton walked a batter and looked straight over at the bench. He was at 98 pitches, the most he had thrown all season, so Bell went to the bullpen. Tony Santillan and Warren each allowed an RBI base hit, but Díaz continued his stellar rookie season in extra innings.
Díaz, who entered the game with a 0.55 ERA in his rookie season, wasn’t used until the 10th inning. Santillan and Warren got the first opportunities out of the bullpen, and then Díaz continued his run as one of the most exciting rookie relief pitchers in MLB.
Díaz stranded the the bases loaded by getting a strikeout on a slider in the dirt, and he got his first career save.
"It’s all about the confidence that I have up there," Díaz said via interpreter Jorge Merlos. "When I go out and pitch every time, I have all the confidence in the world. I know I am going to get it done.”
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