Reds use all of the plays to beat Brewers 9-7

The Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

It’s Scooter Gennett.

Everyone in this game was a big pile of “fine,” really. Sal Romano’s start wasn’t good, but considering how it started, it worked out. The Reds got something like 9* infield hits in the 4th inning, and helped by 12* or so Brewer errors. All of that helped get the Reds as many runs as they had. The relievers weren’t really all that good on the whole.

Then came Scooter. He hit a sac fly that scored a run and also managed a weird, soft, up the middle grounder that scored a run. But after normally reliable David Hernandez and Raisel Iglesias coughed up the lead in the 8th, and the Reds were down to their final out in the 9th... Scooter scooted a dinger to the seats.

It was something that we’d gotten used to seeing, but hadn’t seen it much recently. Scooter has 19 HR on the season now, but this was only his 3rd since the All Star break, which was a month ago. This is the Scooter that has him penciled into the 3rd or cleanup spot in the order every single day. It hadn’t really shown itself for a while.

It won tonight.

Honorable mention to the Mason Williams, who doubled and tripled and recorded an RBI and a run scored. Phil Ervin hit twice and batted a run in, while Billy Hamilton hit twice and scored two runs. Eugenio Suarez hit and walked and scored a run.

Key Plays

• The Brewers wasted no time getting to Sal Romano and scoring. Christian Yelich singled before Lorenzo Cain walked on four pitches. Mike Moustakas struck out for the first out, but Jesus Aguilar doubled to score Yelich. Travis Shaw also struck out, and the decision was made to intentionally Reds Killer Eric Thames to load the bases. Somebody named Erik Kratz roped a single into left to score Cain, before Orlando Arcia blooped a single into right center to score Aguilar and Thames. The pitcher grounded out mercifully to end the frame, but the Beers put up a crooked number early, 4-0.
• Dilson Herrera, starting at third base tonight, doubled to lead off the 3rd. Brandon Dixon moved him over to 3B on a ground out, before Sal Romano helped his own cause by singling to score Pickle. Billy Hamilton then singled before a Phil Ervin singled to RF, which was bobbled long enough by Thames on the fielding attempt Romano scored from 2B. Scooter Gennett hit a sac fly that scored Hamilton. Eugenio Suarez lined out to end the frame, but the Reds get right back in the thing and cut the Brewers lead to 1, 4-3.
• Shaw led off the bottom of the 3rd with a big dong. That was all for the Brewers though, 5-3.
• The Reds went back to work in the 4th and chaos ensued (if your idea of chaos is a bunch of damned infield singles and bad defense). Mason Williams doubled to lead things off, followed quickly by a Tucker Barnhart single that moved Williams to 3rd. Dilson struck out for the first out. Brandon Dixon grounded into a fielders choice to 3B. The Brewers, however, chose no outs, as Moustakas’s throw short hopped the catcher and Williams scored. Sal failed to get down the bunt down for the second out. Billy grounded back up the middle, but Guerra couldn’t field it, so he was safe at first. Ervin grounded sharply up the middle, too... it hit the ump, which means all of the Reds runners moved up. Tucker scored. Scooter hit another damn soft grounder up the middle that ended up a hit, Dixon scored. With Suarez batting, Guerra uncorked a wild one with Billy standing on third. Yah, he scored. Eugenio struck out to end the frame but hot damn, the Reds take the lead, 7-5.
• The Brewers got another solo dong, this time from Jonathan Schoop. It came off David Hernandez. Hernandez would give up another hit to that Kratz (Keon Broxton would come on to run and steal second), then strike out Arica, before Riggleman went to Raisel Iglesias. Iglesias got ahead quickly to Ryan Braun, but then Braun doubled to center, scoring Broxton and tying the game. Yelich and Cain lined and flied out to end the threat, but the Brewers got the two they needed. 7 all after 8 full.
• With two outs in the top of the 9th, Scooter Damned Gennett (it’s his legal name, look it up) donged to right to put the Reds back in the lead. Eugenio singled thereafter and then Williams went ahead and tripled him in for an insurance run. Reds up, 9-7.
• This one belongs to the Reds. 9-7.

Tony Graphanino

Other Notes

• The Brewers did mostly all of their improving at the trade deadline, though they did pick up a relief pitcher from a waiver trade. However, their NL Central rivals got even just a little better today. The division leading Cubs picked up Daniel Murphy from the Nationals for an A level prospect and some cash. Daniel Murphy had major knee surgery prior to the season and started slow, but still owns a .300/.341/.442 slash this season, but that bumps to .347/.365/.556 this month. Four of his six home runs have come in that span (19 games). They got a little bit of hitting insurance today.
• The Cardinals took back Matt Adams from the Nationals. He owns a 118 OPS+ this season, and rejoins a St. Louis team that traded him away just last season. They gave up Cash Considerations, who should play really well for the Nats. Welcome back to the Central, Matt. Welcome back.
• In the NL Central race, the Cubs came into the night leading the the Brewers by 2.5 and the Cardinals by 3. The Cubs lost tonight to the Tigers. The Cardinals are playing as we speak out in LA against the Dodgers and, well, you know what happened in this one.
• Sal Romano just doesn’t die, man. He wasn’t good in this one, but he really had no business surviving five full innings in this one, especially giving up four runs in the first and generally just not seeming to have a clue where his pitches were going. But the offense stepped up (and got very, very lucky with infield hits and bad defense) and Sal settled down and saved a couple of innings on the bullpen. So, go Sal.
• The Brewers and Reds will square off for the final game in the series. It’s a 2:10 PM EDT start. Freddy Peralta will start for Milwaukee. Robert Stephenson will make his third start of 2018 for the Reds. Buckle in, folks.
• Tunes.