It’s the type of season where the Cincinnati Reds lose even on a day when they beat the St. Louis Cardinals and scored seven runs against Adam Wainwright.
Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson left Friday’s game in the first inning with a broken right clavicle. It was devastating news in the club’s first game following the All-Star break.
The potential season-ending injury darkened the Reds’ 9-5 win at Great American Ball Park. The Reds have a 22-24 record in games Stephenson starts, an impressive mark for a team that is 22 games below .500.
"Our dugout, it was very deflating," Reds Manager David Bell said. "I will say our players did a nice job of rallying around each other and staying with it for the game. Played well the rest of the game, but it was tough."
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With two outs in the top of the first inning, Paul Goldschmidt fouled a 100-mph cutter directly to Stephenson’s collarbone, catching the top of the chest protector. Stephenson immediately grimaced and slumped to the point where his mask fell off, but he convinced a trainer he was OK to remain in the game.
"When I went out there, I actually thought he was coming out," Bell said. "I mean, it was loud from where I was. When I got out there, he didn't seem to be in as much pain as I expected."
Said Stephenson: "I’ve taken foul balls before in very different spots. I’ve never had one up in that area. I thought it was fine."
Two pitches later, Goldschmidt hit a ball directly in front of the plate. Stephenson, who made one throw back to the mound after the foul ball, sprinted to grab the swinging bunt, but he was unable to throw the ball to first base and fell to the ground. He told pitcher Graham Ashcraft that he felt a pop.
It was a clean break, Stephenson said, and it won't require surgery if it heals correctly. The Reds did not announce a timetable for his return.
"I can still feel it," said an upbeat Stephenson while wearing a sling postgame. "It’s going to be a tough couple of days. I have to sleep in a chair. If I move wrong, I can still feel the bones rubbing up against each other.
"We’ll be back. I don’t know when."
The Reds, after losing Stephenson, responded to a two-run deficit in the second inning with three consecutive hits against Wainwright in front of 25,597 fans. After a Kyle Farmer double put two runners in scoring position, Tyler Naquin lined a two-run single into shallow left field. Donovan Solano followed with a two-run homer, his second of the season.
"That put us in the right direction and steered us to win that game," Ashcraft said. "It could’ve went in the complete opposite direction."
One of the reasons the Reds played well ahead of the All-Star break, winning six of their final nine games, was their lineup returning to full strength. The Nos. 6-7-8 hitters in the Reds lineup Friday combined for four hits, five runs and seven RBI.
Wainwright exited in the sixth inning after issuing back-to-back walks. Naquin, facing Cardinals reliever Jordan Hicks, lined a two-run triple into center field past a diving Dylan Carlson.
It was the first time Wainwright allowed seven earned runs in a start since July 19, 2019, which also came at Great American Ball Park. That Reds lineup featured Ryan Lavarnway, Yasiel Puig, Scooter Gennett, Phillip Ervin and José Iglesias.
"It’s baseball, things aren’t going to go your way," Ashcraft said. "There are going to be issues. Tonight was one of those nights. I felt like we handled it pretty good as a team and did what we’re supposed to do."
Ashcraft, the Reds' rookie right-hander, had one of those starts that was equally electric and maddening.
Ashcraft struck out eight, matching a season high, with a quality slider to pair with his 101-mph cutter. On the flip side, he failed to complete five innings in 112 pitches, and he gave up four runs.
"From what has happened the last couple outings, it’s definitely a step in the right direction," said Ashcraft, who had allowed 12 runs in his last 13 1/3 innings before Friday's start.
Ashcraft was one pitch from escaping the second inning without giving up a run. Facing leadoff hitter Tommy Edman with two runners in scoring position, Ashcraft issued a seven-pitch walk. Ashcraft was stunned the seventh pitch, an elevated cutter inside the strike zone, was called a ball. He took a few steps off the mound toward the dugout, then shouted “No way!” when he realized it wasn’t an inning-ending strikeout.
Three pitches later, Tyler O’Neill bounced a single through the right side of the infield to drive in two runs.
"Umpires have bad days too," Ashcraft said. "I’m not going to say too much about it. It’s something you’ve got to roll with."
The Reds had to roll with a lot of punches in their first game out of the All-Star break. With the trade deadline looming in less than two weeks, which could change who is left in the clubhouse, they're now without their franchise catcher.
"I’m bummed," said Joey Votto, who homered in the third inning. "(Stephenson) has played very well this year and has been fighting through some things. Most importantly, the Reds fans don’t get to see him play which is not good either. He’s such a good player."
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