Luis Castillo, Reds, doomed by one swing of the Padres bat, lose 6-3

The Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

Fresh off his shiny May Player of the Month award win, Scooter Gennett just keeps mashing. He hit is 11th home run of the season in last night’s game, the day it was announced he won the award. And, wouldn’t you know it, he spanked his 12th of the season in this one that, at the time, pulled the Reds within two late. His other hit produced his first RBI of the day, which actually gave the Reds a two run lead.

Basically what I’m conveying is that the best player in the National League in the month of May is vying to be just that in June, as well. Keep on keepin’ on, Scooter. And since you’re a friend of the blog, I know racking up these trophies are much more meaningful to you than some “Player of the Month” award.

Honorable mention to Joey Votto, who hit three times, including a triple (!) while Eugenio Suarez doinked a dinger for his only hit of the day. Jared Hughes 1.1 innings of 0 H, 0 ER, 2 K ball out of the bullpen, to run his scoreless streak to a career high 15.1 IP.

Key Plays

• Eugenio Suarez smacked his 11th HR of the season in the top of the 2nd inning, the game’s first run. Reds lead, 1-0.
• Billy Hamilton started the 5th with a walk, but was then thrown out attempting to steal. Which was a shame, because Jesse Winker then singled to left. Tucker Barnhart flew out for the second out of the inning, before Joey Votto dropped in his third hit of the game which sent Winker to 3B. Scooter Gennett singled himself, scoring Winker. Suarez lined out to end the frame, but the Reds get one more, lead 2-0.
• Luis Castillo got himself into a jam in the bottom of the 5th and he couldn’t work his way out of it. Franmil Reyes singled to center before Freddy Galvis dropped down bunt single. A Manual Margot walk loaded the bases with nobody out. Raffy Lopez grounded into a force at the plate for the first out, but Hunter Renfroe, pinch hitting for Tyson Ross, walloped a slider than hung out right over the plate for a big fat grand salami. Castillo got one more out before allowing an Eric Hosmer single to left, then was lifted for David Hernandez, who got the final out. Padres, 4-2. Ugh.
• The Padres added another run in the 6th, Reyes singled with one-out before Galvis moved him to 2B on a soft groundout. Margot was intentionally walked but Lopez lifted a single into CF, scoring Reyes. Padres, 5-2.
• Scooter hit a home run, because it’s a thing he does regularly. Reds down, 5-3.
• Cory Spangenberg deposited a Raisel Iglesias offering into the seats in RF to begin the bottom of the 8th. That was all they got, but it effectively erased the one that the Reds tried to get back just a half inning earlier. Padres, 6-3.
• The Reds threatened with some baserunners in the 9th, but couldn’t put anything together. And that was that. Reds lose, 6-3.

Tony Graphanino

Other Notes

• On the eve of the 2018 MLB Amateur Draft, 2017 Reds first round pick Hunter Greene pitched for the Dayton Dragons today and, well, he did the damn thing. 5 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K. That’ll do.
• Round one of the Draft begins tomorrow at 7 PM on MLB Network and MLB.com. The Reds have the fifth pick in the draft, so tune in early if you want to see which player your favorite team selects. Tomorrow will cover both the 1st and 2nd rounds, along with the compensation picks and competitive balance pools A and B. That means the Reds will be drafting 5, 47, and 72 on the night. We’ll have all the coverage here at Red Report dot com, of course.
• Skip Schumaker is the 1B Coach for the Padres. I don’t really have anything to add to this, nor does it really add anything to the game or your understanding of it. It’s just kinda funny to see him out there.
• The Reds are off tomorrow as they travel back to Cincinnati. They’ll open up three game series with the Rockies on Tuesday. In the first game of that series, Anthony DeSclafani will make his season debut for the Reds, taking the place of the “injured” Homer Bailey.
• Tunes.