Eugenio Suarez homers twice to rescue Reds in 6-5 win over Brewers

The Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

Eugenio Suarez is a meatball-mauling masher.

The Cincinnati Reds 3B bashed a pair of crucial 2-run dingers against the Milwaukee Brewers in the series opener between these two clubs on Monday, both times putting the theoretical nail in the coffin of this game in the process.

The Reds bullpen made the first dinger moot, but Suarez’s second blast was the kind of emphatic thump that won’t soon be forgotten, especially if somehow, some way this is the kind of game that finally kicks the Reds into a winning stretch.

You’re the man, Geno. Thanks for that roller coaster.

Honorable Mentions are due to:Nick Senzel, who singled twice, scored, and took a walk; Joey Votto, who had a pair of hits and drove in a run; Wandy Peralta, who fired a clean inning of relief; and Yasiel Puig, who doubled, walked, and scored.

Key Plays

• The most potent portion of the Milwaukee lineup got them on the board first in this one, as Christian Yelich poked a single into RF off Sonny in the Bottom of the 3rd and scored a batter later on Yasmani Grandal’s RBI double. Reds trailed, 1-0.
• The Reds got that run back off Chase Anderson in the Top of the 5th. Juan Graterol began things with a single into CF, and he later ended up on 3B after Sonny’s sac-bunt and a single into LF by Nick Senzel. Votto then dumped a 2-out single into CF to plate Graterol, and the game was tied, 1-1.
• Puig’s hustle helped the Reds to another run in the Top of the 6th. He smashed what appeared to be a single into left-center, but he never broke stride heading for 2B and caught Yelich being a tad slow to get the ball back in to turn it into a double. A single by Phil Ervin later put him on 3B, and Puig scored on the clutchy 2-out single off Matt Albers to give the Reds a 2-1 lead.
• The Top of the 7th saw the Reds stage another 2-out rally, with Votto poking a 2-out single off Brewers reliever Adrian Houser and Suarez following with a 2-run blast over the wall in CF. Reds led, 4-1.
• Raisel Iglesias loaded the bases in the Bottom of the 8th and allowed a grand slam to Tyler Saladino, of all people, and the morale of Reds fans everywhere officially hit rock bottom. Reds trailed, 5-4.
• Fortunately for Reds fans everywhere, Eugenio Suarez exists in a big, big way. After Senzel had legged out an infield single against Jeremy Jeffress earlier in the inning, Suarez hit a hanging breaking ball roughly a billion feet out to LF, and the Reds took an improbable 6-5 lead - one that they would finish with.

Tony Graphanino

Other Notes

• As The Athletic’s C. Trent Rosecrans noted, Reds starter Alex Wood had a pretty dang impressive rehab start with AA Chattanooga tonight.
• Sonny Gray entered play on Monday night having already faced the Milwaukee Brewers a trio of times in 2019, and he did so with excellent numbers against them. He’d allowed just 4 ER in 18.1 IP - that’s a 1.96 ERA, for the record - and tonight’s start was fortunately more of the same for the Cincinnati Reds All Star.
• The Reds will turn to Tanner Roark to start on Tuesday, a game that very well could be his final start with the Reds - he’ll absolutely be a piece other teams will inquire about in the run-up to the July 31st trade deadline. Meanwhile, Milwaukee will counter with Zach Davies, who’s having quite a fine year. First pitch is set for 8:10 PM ET.
• Tunes.