Three different Phillies hit two dingers in the game as Reds fall, 9-4

The Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

This wasn’t the best game by the Reds by any stretch but damnit if Eugenio Suarez ain’t on one.

In the bottom of the first inning, Suarez socked a (Ranger) Suarez offering into the seats. It’s a thing he does, in a couple of different regards. He is absolutely mauling lefties this season, to the tune of .381/.485/.690, and that was before tonight’s game. He’s also hit, now, 23 home runs on the season, so he’s not afraid of the long ball.

But what makes this one particularly notable is that this was his fourth home run in four consecutive games. He’s the first everyday Reds third baseman to do that since Chris Stynes did it back in 2000. In doing so this season, it’s the first time in franchise history three different players have achieved this particular feat in the same season, with Joey Votto and Scooter Gennett doing it in April and May, respectively.

The Reds believed that Eugenio would continue to develop, and hopefully into something special, when they inked him to a big extension this past off-season. He’s turned into a legit MVP candidate right before our very eyes, and it’s pretty damn sweet to see.

Honorable mention to Michael Lorenzen, who gutted out 4 innings after Tyler Mahle couldn’t get through more than just the first inning. Tucker Barnhart blasted his second tater in two days, and seems to be heating up a bit. Joey Votto and Jose Peraza both swatted two hits, as well.

Key Plays

• Tyler Mahle was bad and bad early. All nine Philly Phillies came to the plate in the top of the 1st inning. Rhys Hoskins hit a 1-out dinger deep into the seats in left. Odubel Herrera reached 1B on a comebacker off Mahle’s glove that he ran out. Then Carlos Santana clubbed a homer to right field. Mikel Franco struck out for the second out, but Nick Williams singled sharply before Scott Kingery doubled past Eugenio at third base. Jorge Alfaro was intentionally walked, which means Ranger Suarez made his first Major League AB before pitching his first Major League pitch. He struck out to mercifully end the frame. It felt worse than it was, but it was still pretty bad. Phillies up, 3-0.
• In the bottom of the inning, Scooter Gennett hit a 1-out single, followed by a Joey Votto flyout. Eugenio Suarez, though, blasted a Ranger Suarez offering into the seats in left center field for his fourth home run in his last four games, to get 2 back for the Reds. Phillies up 3-2.
• Mahle ran back out there to give up a bloop single to Cesar Hernandez (that Duvall maaaybe should’ve gotten to) and then was yanked in favor of Michael Lorenzen. Lorenzen threw 20 pitches, faced four batters, and got three outs without allowing another run. Phillies up 1 after 1.5.
• Nick Williams homered to straight away center field to lead off the 3rd, which added another run to the PHI column. 4-2.
• Joey Votto started the bottom of the 4th with a strike out looking. He made the plate umpire know, very, um, directly, that he was very wrong to call strike three. R. Suarez walked E. Suarez, because who’s gonna just voluntarily pitch to that guy right now? Adam Duvall flew out to deep right, but Tucker Barnhart trucked a two run blast to LF to tie the game for the Redlegs! 4-4 after 4 full.
• Franco jumped the Phillies back on top right away, with a 1-out funkblast in the 5th off Lorenzen, 5-4.
• Rhys Hoskins belted his second home run of the game, this time off Austin Brice with 2 outs in the 6th. 6-4 Phillies.
• Franco hit another bomb in the 7th. Ugh. Phillies tack on another, lead 7-4, mid 7.
• Kyle Crockett opened up the 8th inning pitching for the Reds, and allowed a near dinger to Alfaro, but it went off the top of the wall for a double. Andrew Knapp struck out before Hernandez roped one into LF that scored Alfaro, but Hernandez got himself thrown out at 2B. Hoskins then doubled, but Herrera grounded out to end the frame. Still, the Phillies get yet another one, 8-4.
• Williams hit his second dong of the game, this one off Crockett, in the 9th to make it 9-4.
• That, friends, was that. That’s a lotta damn home runs that weren’t hit by Reds.

Tony Graphanino

Other Notes

• Ranger Suarez is the first lefty to start for the Phillies since September of 2016.
• Tyler Mahle has now had three really bad starts in a row, each one seemingly worse than the last. I don’t like that at all, and I hope like hell there isn’t something wrong with him.
• Jesse Winker is done for the season and I’m still bummed.
• So, Hunter Greene left his start after only 2 IP and 30 pitches in Dayton. It was not a scheduled “short start”, according to blog friend Doug Gray. Thankfully, the Dragons put our fears to rest, as Hunter was pulled due to “not feeling well” and it is not injury related, nor is it serious. Whew.
• Game 2 of this four gamer will move into the weekend tomorrow at 7:10 PM. Anthony DeSclafani will make the start opposite of RHP Nick Pivetta.
• Tunes.