Cincinnati Reds rally, fall short against Colorado Rockies in 10-9 slugfest

The Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

Scooter Gennett was back in the starting lineup today for the first time since July 3rd. He’d only picked up a lone pinch-hit appearance in the time between that date and today after dealing with a groin strain, the All Star break, and a brief illness - likely altitude related, seeing as the Cincinnati Reds were in Denver to take on the Colorado Rockies when it hit.

The Reds finally got a great outing from Scooter on Sunday, as he singled, doubled, and drove in a pair, his first multi-hit game since returning from his groin injury. In fact, his pair of hits today doubled his season total, as he’d gone just 2 for 20 in his initial action.

Here’s to hoping he’s got a lot more of what we saw today left in the tank, as the Reds are going to need every bit of it to stay in the race for a playoff spot this season.

Honorable Mentions are due to: Jose Peraza, who socked a 2-run pinch-hit dinger; Robert Stephenson, who struck out 4 in a pair of perfect innings of relief; Phil Ervin, who tripled, walked, and scored; and Kyle Farmer, who had a 2 for 3 day with a ribbie and a pair of runs scored.

Key Plays

• Raimel Tapia doubled off Tyler Mahle in the Bottom of the 1st, and he later scored on a single up the middle off the bat of Ian Desmond. In between that, Daniel Murphy had managed to reach 1B on a force-out, which meant there were a pair of runners on for Ryan McMahon’s double off the RF wall, both of whom scored. Tony Wolters then singled into LF on Mahle’s 32nd pitch of the opening frame, and that scored McMahon to dig the Reds an immediate 4-0 hole.
• The Reds punched right back in the Top of the 2nd off Colorado starter Antonio Senzatela, however. Derek Dietrich led off the inning with a double off the wall in RF, and Ervin followed by getting on base yet again - this time via walk. Both then scored when Scooter hit a dribbler of a single into RF that was booted by David Dahl, and the Reds had carved the deficit to 4-2. That wasn’t it, though, as Farmer later singled, Nick Senzel walked to load the bases, and Jesse Winker then singled in a pair of runs when the Rockies couldn’t convert his grounder up the middle into the inning’s final out. Game tied, 4-4.
• The Reds jumped ahead for a quick minute in the Top of the 5th, as Senzel manufactured a run after being hit by a pitch, stealing a bag, and eventually scoring on a sac fly by Eugenio Suarez. Reds led, 5-4.
• Mahle was shelled again in the Bottom of the 5th, as a trio of hits greeted him to start the frame, the last of which being a 2-run double down the RF line by Daniel Murphy. Murphy later scored on an RBI triple by McMahon, who then scored on a jam-shot single by Wolters. Wolters then scored - still with Mahle on the mound - when Garrett Hampson singled into CF and the ball got by Senzel, allowing Wolters to scoot all the way around to score and finally, mercifully chase Mahle to the showers. Hampson scored a batter later on a slow roller to 2B - you read that right - as Scooter threw on the run to get Senzatela at 1B, but the speedy Hampson never hesitated rounding 3B and the relay throw home after the out was late. Reds trailed, 10-5.
• Phlerv’s leadoff triple in the Top of the 6th helped the Reds begin to chip into that lead, as he scored a batter later on Scooter’s RBI double. Scooter then scooted in from 2B on the single into CF by Farmer, who scored on Peraza’s pinch-hit 2-run dinger. Reds trailed, 10-9, and that was somewhat surprisingly the final set of runs put on the board.

Tony Graphanino

Other Notes

• Jesse Winker exited the game after a brief meeting with David Bell and the trainer following a swing and miss in the Top of the 6th, which is decidedly not good. Reading this from The Athletic’s Nick Groke makes it sound much more decidedly not good.
• Because of a booted grounder at 3B by Eugenio Suarez in that prolific Colorado Bottom of the 1st, all 4 of the runs that scored that inning went down as unearned against Tyler Mahle. Mahle’s final line, as a result, looked marginally better. That line: 4.1 IP, 12 H, 10 R (6 ER), 0 BB, 2 K on 89 pitches.
• The Reds will head to Chicago later today, and on Monday they’ll open a huge series against the NL Central-leading Cubs. Luis Castillo will be on the mound for his first post-ASG start, and the Cubs will roll out Kyle Hendricks to counter him. First pitch is set for 8:05 PM ET.
• Tunes.