Yasiel Puig scores walk-off run to lead Cincinnati Reds past Milwaukee Brewers

The Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

Yasiel Puig is completely on a different level lately, and the Cincinnati Red are incredibly better for it.

On Tuesday, he took matters into his own hands to get the Reds a win over the Milwaukee Brewers, scoring from 1B on a Jose Iglesias single into RF in the Bottom of the 11th after some questionable defense from the Reds’ NL Central rivals.

Of course, he’d already dingered in the game, and has continued to absolutely rake since the end of April turned to a sunnier May.

Honorable Mentions are due to: Eugenio Suarez, who bonked his 4th dinger in the last 3 games; Phil Ervin, who tripled and singled; Nick Senzel, who singled twice, walked, and scored twice; Joey Votto, who singled, doubled, and drove in a huge run; and the combo of Amir Garrett, Michael Lorenzen, Jared Hughes, and Raisel Iglesias, who combined for 4.1 IP of scoreless, hitless ball.

Key Plays

• Suarez gave Tanner Roark and the Reds an early lead, belting a 412 foot moonshot of a dinger off Milwaukee starter Chase Anderson in the Bottom of the 1st for a 2-run jack, one that scored Senzel, too, who had earlier singled. Reds led, 2-0.
• Christian Yelich is, unfortunately, quite #good. He good-ed his 31st dinger into the seats in LF in the Top of the 4th to make this a 2-1 game, since fortunately his dinger was of the solo variety.
• The Top of the 5th had a similar story to tell, as notorious Reds dinger-destroyer Eric Thames hit a solo shot of his own into the LF seats, tying things at 2-2.
• Roark walked Yasmani Grandal in the Top of the 6th, and that haunted a few batters later when Mike Moustakas walloped a 2-run dinger into the RF stands, a dinger that gave the Beers a 4-2 lead.
• Freddy Peralta served Puig a fatty meatball in the Bottom of the 7th, one that the Cincinnati RF turned on and crushed for a solo dinger of his own into the RF seats. Reds trailed, 4-3.
• Matt Albers was on the mound for Milwaukee trying to wrap the Bottom of the 8th, and the Cincinnati Reds made him pay. Senzel smacked a 2-out single, and he scored all the way from 1B on Votto’s huge double into the RF corner. Game tied, 4-4.
• Puig smoked a single to begin the drama in the Bottom of the 11th, and later scored on a soft single into RF after the Brewers kicked/punted/dooped the ball around the infield on the relay through, sending GABP into a frenzy. Reds won, 5-4!

Tony Graphanino

Other Notes

• Tanner Roark was far from awful in his outing tonight, but he was absolutely bitten by the dinger bug. His final line: 6.2 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, BB, 5 K on 99 pitches. That trio o’ dingers, though...
• The Reds will attempt to begin to salvage this series on Wednesday at 7:10 PM ET, and will do so with Sonny Gray on the mound to start. Jhoulys Chacin will go first for Milwaukee.
• Tunes.