Reds finally score runs, still lose 6-5

The Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

Kyle Farmer got his first start of the season, filling in for Eugenio Suarez, who was getting a day of rest. And it was Farmer’s bat that was exactly what the Reds needed. In the third inning, Farmer uncorked a two run tater. Those two runs, you’ll remember, were the first runs the Reds had scored in over three games.

So yeah, when you end a 30 innings scoreless streak, you get JNMHSotG honors.

Not only was that Farmer’s first dong of the year, it was the first dong of his career! While that honor may be a little more important than this one, he gets a little extra hardware for the trouble!

Honorable mention to Joey Votto, who hit a dinger of his own as part of a two hit day. Derek Dietrich hit a single and a double, while Casali doubled, batted a run in, and scored one himself.

Key Plays

• Tanner Roark served up Jason Martin’s first MLB hit in his first MLB plate appearance. The Reds are here to make the home fans happy, of course. Anyway, Starling Marte struck out for the first out of the inning, but then Martin stole second base. Colin Moran flew out, but Josh Bell hit a double in the right center field gap to score Martin. Melky Cabrera flew out to end the inning. Pirates up, 1-0 after 1.
• A strange thing happened in the top of the 3rd inning... the Reds scored a run. And not just ONE run, but TWO runs. Curt Casali reached on an error by Colin Moran to begin the frame, and then Kyle Farmer blasted a Williams offering over the fence in straightaway center field. Our long national nightmare was over; the Reds scored runs. Tanner Roark made the first out of the inning, but then the hits started coming in bunches. Scott Schebler singled. Joey Votto singled. Yasiel Puig singled, which scored Schebler. Matt Kemp grounded into an inning ending double play, but if you think about it, even that was one of Kemp’s more productive trips to the plate this year. Hot diggity damn the Reds were on the board! Leading, even! 3-1.
• With one out in the bottom of the 3rd, Moran grounded into left field for a single before Bell roped a line drive to the gap in left center field. Fortunately for the Reds, the ball bounced into the seats for a ground-rule double, keeping Moran at third when he otherwise would’ve easily scored. He scored on the next at bat, as Cabrera’s grounder was slow-rolling enough that the only out was at 1B. Starling did battle with Roark again, but this time grounded out to end the inning. Reds up, 3-2.
• Derek Dietrich singled to open the 4th and then, after a Jose Peraza fly out, Casali roped a double down the left field line that scored Dietrich all the way from first. Reds tack on another run, 4-2 in the 4th.
• Roark was still hucking 90 mph gas for the Reds in the Bottom of the 5th, and perhaps it would’ve been wise to send him to the showers before facing the heart of the order again. The benefit of hindsight is on my side in this instance, as I’m writing this knowing that Roark served up a meatball that Josh Bell hit a country mile for a solo dinger over the CF wall, which left the Reds up just 4-3.
• Jared Hughes was brought on to face the bottom of the Pirates order, and promptly served up a single to Stallings. He moved over on a sac bunt by Gonzalez. Left handed batter Adam Frazier then came up to pinch hit for Williams, so Reds manager David Bell went to left handed pitching Zach Duke. Duke walked Frazier and was promptly pulled for Michael Lorenzen. Lorenzen induced a soft ground out from Jung Ho Kang that moved runners to second and third, but then Marte doubled on a line drive to center that scored them both, and the Pirates take the lead, 5-4.
• Joey. Votto, Dinger. Tied game after top 8, 5 all.
• FREE BASEBALL!
• Raisel Iglesias was pitching in his third inning since coming into the ball game when he entered in the 10th. Seems like a lot. He struck out Josh Bell, but then allowed a single to Francisco Cervelli. Kevin Newman doubled deep into the gap in left center field, and there was just no Red over there to catch up to it. Cervelli scored from first, and that was that. Pirates win, 6-5.

Tony Graphanino

Other Notes

• BREAKING NEWS
• Seriously, though. The Reds went 30 innings without scoring a run before Kyle Farmer’s dong in the third inning. It’s not only crazy that the Reds went 30 f’ing innings without scoring a run, but it’s also crazy that apparently, the keys to offensive success are possessed by checks notes... Kyle Farmer.
• Speaking of streaks, that Josh Bell dinger was the first one allowed by a Reds starter all season. Normally, that’s a sentence we get to type in the 3rd inning on Opening Day.
• The Reds and Pirates will wrap this four-gamer tomorrow afternoon in Pittsburgh, with the Redlegs trying to avoid another sweep to an NL Central foe. Anthony DeSclafani will take the mound for the second time this season, looking to build off his strong first start. It doesn’t get easier for the Reds, however, as they’ll be opposed by Chris Archer for the Pirates. First pitch is scheduled for 1:35 PM EDT.
• Tunes.