Punchless Reds shutout in 3-0 loss to Cardinals

The Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

Kyle Farmer had three hits for the Cincinnati Reds.

Unfortunately, the Cincinnati Reds couldn’t back Kyle Farmer with three other hits.

Honorable Mention is due to: Tejay Antone, who pitched well in a game where looking at the box score was wholly unnecessary if you watched the entire boring affair.

Key Plays

• Harrison Bader lifted a pop-fly into shallow RF to begin the bloopage of the Bottom of the 3rd, as it somehow managed to fall in between a trio of Reds. Bader was hauling ass from the start, per usual, and slid into 2B for a hustle-double. Because of course, Kolten Wong followed with a bloop into shallow LF, one that caused Bader to hold up until he saw the sliding Jesse Winker not quite catch it. Freddy Galvis retrieved the ball and kinda just flipped it back to the infield, something that burned as Wong hustled to 2B to put a pair in scoring position. Hustle, imagine that. Tommy Edman then followed with a soft-liner into LF that scored both, and the Reds were down 2-0.
• Bader struck again in the Bottom of the 5th, this time with a solo bonk over the RF wall to put the Cardinals up 3-0. That was it.

Tony Graphanino

Other Notes

• Wade Miley was largely serviceable tonight, which is all we really hope for out of a 5th starter. He was dinked and dunked upon, but that’s somewhat to be expected when his pitches are as mid-80s as they mostly are, but he did look, for the most part, like a guy who can still navigate a lineup twice over every fifth day, and that’s got some value. his final line: 5.0 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 K on 95 pitches.
• Jesse Winker and Tejay Antone both have turned, or will turn, 27 years old this year. They’re the youngest players the Reds rolled out tonight on an evening where they looked tired, old, and largely disinterested. With Nick Senzel out, this is an old roster desperately in need of a spark. The trade deadline is 9 days away, too...
• Sunday’s series finale will feature Tyler Mahle on the mound for the Reds opposite Daniel Ponce de Leon for St. Louis. First pitch is set for 2:15 PM ET.
• Tunes.