Reds take lead, hand ball to bullpen, watch lead go POOF against San Diego Padres

The Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

Adam Duvall has mashed a big pile of homers so far this season.  His 21st long ball came tonight off of San Diego Padres starter Christian Friedrich, and it was the biggest hit for the Cincinnati Reds in a game that didn't end up going their way on the scoreboard at game's end.

I feel like I've tried to find ways to write that exact same sentence about a billion times this calendar year.  So goes the rebuild, I suppose.

Honorable Mentions are due to:  Eugenio Suarez, who walked 3 times for the first time in his MLB career; Brandon Phillips, who had a 2 for 4 evening, scored a run, and drove another in; Josh Smith, whose successful transition to the bullpen continued on Thursday as he tossed 2 IP of 0 H, 0 ER ball; and Zack Cozart, who doubled, scored, and walked.

Key Plays

• The Friars struck first in this one, albeit with a bit of help from the Cincinnati defense.  Melvin Upton, Jr. singled to LF to leadoff the Top of the 2nd inning, and he ended up on 3B after stealing 2B when Ramon Cabrera's throw went past Brandon Phillips and into CF.  He then scored two batters later on a productive grounder by Alexei Ramirez, and the unearned run left the Reds trailing 1-0.
• Cincinnati struck back in the Bottom of the 3rd, however.  Cozart belted a leadoff double to LF, and he scored a batter later when Billy Hamilton unleashed all hell on the San Diego defense.  Billy spanked a grounder to Upton in LF, who then casually threw back to the infield, and Hamilton immediately recognized that and kept right on flying in to 2B.  Yangervis Solarte tried and failed to beat Billy to 2B with a throw, and when that kicked into CF, Hamilton trotted down to 3B.  Billy then scored on a single to CF by Phillips, and Beep Beeped his way home when Duvall belted an oppo-dinger down the RF line.  Reds led, 4-1.
• Matt Kemp hits lefties like he's still 24, and for his career he's hit Reds pitching and in GABP as if he was a 1st ballot Hall of Famer.  He homered down the LF line in the Top of the 4th.  Reds led, 4-2.
• San Diego notched another run in the Top of the 6th, and it effectively ended John Lamb's evening.  Wil Myers led off with a walk - which haunted - as a productive grounder moved him over and a Solarte single brought him home.  That meant it was time for the Cincinnati bullpen to take over and, well, you know that story.  JC Ramirez took the hill and immediately allowed a single to Upton and a 3-run dinger to Derek Norris that farted away the lead.  Reds trailed, 6-4.
• Doss Rohlenorf took over for the Top of the 9th, and an Adam Rosales double to LF eventually became another run charged to the Cincinnati bullpen when he was singled in by Travis Jankowski. That, unfortunately, was the last of the scoring for the evening, and the Reds lost yet again, 7-4.

Source: FanGraphs