Scooter Gennett bashes FOUR homers to lead Reds in 13-1 rout of Cardinals

The Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

Temporarily losing Scott Schebler, who was leading the National League in homers with 16 at the time of his dive-induced shoulder issue, seemed at the time to be the first big position player bummer the Cincinnati Reds had faced all season. Though Schebler seems to be OK - and took a walk as a pinch hitter late in this game - what Scooter Gennett has done while filling in for him has been nothing sort of remarkable.

On Tuesday, Scooter went bonkers on the St. Louis Cardinals, racking up 5 hits - 4 of which were homers and one of which was a grand slam - driving in 10 total runs to lead the Reds to a complete evisceration of their NL Central rivals. He salamied to LF, 2-run blasted to CF, poked a solo-homer into the RF stands, and then went right back to LF for yet another 2-run smash. So far, he has been a revelation as a Zobristy do-it-all piece for a Cincinnati club whose offense continues to be one of the best in the game, filling in just about everywhere on the field while swinging a bat that, as of now, holds a place in MLB history. And they got him from Milwaukee for a song...

Big time congrats, Scooter, and welcome to the 4-dinger club, just the 17th time a player has accomplished the feat in the history of the game. Good lord.

Honorable Mentions are due to: the Cincinnati Reds front office, who claimed Scooter off waivers after the Milwaukee Brewers cast him aside instead of paying him the $2.53 million he was due in his first arbitration year; Tim Adleman, who fired 7 innings of 1 ER ball, striking out 7 and never once finding himself in a jam; Eugenio Suarez, who walked, was plunked, tripled, scored twice, and drove in 3 runs; Billy Hamilton, who went 2 for 3 with a walk and a pair of runs scored; Zack Cozart, who also went 2 for 3 with a walk and a pair of runs scored; and Joey Votto, who walked, singled, and scored twice.

Key Plays

• Billy Hamilton worked some Billy Hamilton magic to open the Bottom of the 1st, dropping a bunt down the 1B line that the Cardinals tried to let trickle foul, only for it to come to a stop sitting fair on the line. Later, Billy moved to 2B, and after Eugenio Suarez was hit by a pitch, Gennett looped a jam-shot single that fell in behind Jedd Gyorko at 3B to plate the Cincinnati leadoff man. Reds led, 1-0.
• The Reds thought they had a run on a Suarez sac fly in the Bottom of the 3rd after Cozart had walked and moved to 3B on a Votto single, but the Cardinals challenged and had the call overturned when replay concluded the ball hit the RF wall in foul ground as Stephen Piscotty tried to catch it. That helped the Reds a ton, as Suarez eventually walked to load the bases, and Gennett punished an Adam Wainwright meatball for a monster grand slam. Reds led, 5-0.
• Cincinnati played add-on against Wainwright in the Bottom of the 4th, and did so entirely with 2-outs. Hamilton singled to begin things, and he motored around to 3B on a Cozart double into RF, and after Votto was walked intentionally, Suarez smoked a triple into LF to clear the bases to end Wainwright’s night. That brought in reliever John Gant, who then served up a mighty meatball that Gennett smoked over the CF wall for a 2-run dinger that put Cincinnati ahead, 10-0.
• Scooty was far from finished, as he again touched up Gant, this time an oppo-shot that just stayed inside the LF foul pole for his 3rd dinger of the evening in the Bottom of the 6th. Reds led, 11-0.
• St. Louis finally got on the board in the Top of the 7th, as Piscotty launched a solo shot into the LF seats to leadoff. Reds led, 11-1.
• Scooter but a button on things in the Bottom of the 8th with his fourth blast of the game, a phrase I wasn’t sure I’d ever type in my existence. That put the Reds ahead 13-1, which is how things wrapped. Holy freakin’ heck, Scooter!

Tony Graphanino

Other Notes

• Prior to the start of this one, the Reds brought Tony Cingrani back from the 10-day DL and optioned Lisalverto Bonillla back to AAA Louisville. Cingrani got the nod for the top of the 9th, touched 97 mph with his fastball, and and looked healthy in his scoreless inning of work despite allowing a pair of baserunners.
• Scooty became the first Reds hitter to crack 3 dingers in one game since Joey Votto pasted the Philadelphia Phillies with 3 of his own on June 9th, 2015.
• Contrary to what this game’s series preview initially suggested, Bronson Arroyo and Lance Lynn with square off on Wednesday in the third game of this four game set, with first pitch at GABP set for 7:10 PM ET.
• Tunes.