Gennett scoots franchise record fourth grand slam but Reds fall to Sox 5-4

Joe Nuxhall Honorary Memorial Star of the Game

For at least the second time this season, Scooter Gennett has done something in a season that no other Red has ever done.

You’ll remember back in June, Mr. Ryan Gennett blasted four home runs in a single game becoming only the 17th player in Major League history to achieve the feat. His 10 RBI in that game tied a club record, but it was the first of those taters that is worth revisiting tonight.

In the bottom of the third, Scooter hit his first grand slam of the season (and only second of his career). Then, on August 10th, he hit another. On August 18th, another.

Tonight, Scooter whacked his four salami of the season, which set the franchise record in a single season.

There are two players in MLB history who have hit four home runs in a game and also hit a total of four grand slams in the same season: Lou Gehrig and Scooter Gennett. That’s it.

Baseball is a weird damn game.

On the night, Scooter batted in all of the runs with the one swing and of course it wasn’t enough to beat the Red Sox. So, Scooter was getting the trophy from the jump. But with his 27th dong of the season, Gennett his having far and away his best season as a full time major leaguer. So, good on Scoots, and good on the Reds front office for picking him up off the trash heap. Offense is up all over the damn place, but you can’t fault the guy for playing the game he was given.

Honorable mention to Billy Hamilton (2 hits), Zack Cozart (3 hits), and Joey Votto (1 hit and 2 walks) for getting on in front of Gennett and allowing this day to happen. Ariel Hernandez, Asher Wojciechowski, and Deck McGuire were solid out of the pen, but the Reds couldn’t claw back far enough for the win.

Key Plays

• A Xander Bogaerts single and Dustin Pedroia walk opened things for this one. Bogaerts was allowed third on a wild pitch before an Andrew Benintendi walk loaded the bases. Mookie Betts struck out, but Mitch Moreland poked a sac fly to left to score Bogaerts. Sal Romano would get Christian Vazquez to pop out to end the threat. Red Sox strike first, 1-0.
• In the bottom half of the frame, the Reds would jump back on the Red Sox. After a Billy Hamilton single and Zack Cozart double, Joey Votto would walk to give the Reds a bases loaded situation of their own. Scooter Gennett jumped on the first damn pitch for his fourth grand slam of the year. The bats were quiet thereafter, but the Reds take the lead, 4-1.
• Betts doubled to lead off the top of the 4th before a Moreland walk. Vazquez made up for ending the inning in the 1st with a double that scored Betts before Rafael Devers deposited a Romano offering into the seats in right field. Red Sox back on top, 5-4.
• And that, as they say, was that. Reds lose, 5-4.

Hello Darkness My Old Friend

Other Notes

• I’ll repeat: Scooter Gennett = Lou Gehrig, at least in this very narrow focus.
• Sal Romano was enjoying a decent stretch of pitching coming into this one, and maybe most importantly for this pitching staff hadn’t walked a single batter in each of his last two contest. He shut out the Pirates through eight full innings in his last start (I know, because I was there). The Red Sox are, decidedly, not the Pirates. Sloppy Sal’s final line? 4.0 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, 4 BB, 3 K. Not great, Bob!
• 2016 Cy Young winner Rick Porcello did only marginally better today, so I suppose Sal can say he was locked in a duel with a former Cy Young winner!
• A few notes: Prior to the game today, the Reds announced a contract extension for Tucker Barnhart. Marty Brennaman announced he was coming back to the booth for the 2018 season. The Reds announced they would be extending nets down past each dugout in the infield, and, predictably, some people have some really shitty takes about it because... I really don’t know. Reasons?
• People are the worst.
• Tunes.