Cincinnati Reds win 14-11 slugfest over Milwaukee Brewers, take series

The Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers put on a show for those few in attendance at GABP for Wednesday’s matinee, a series finale that went the Reds way. The two NL Central rivals combined to pound out 29 hits alongside 10 walks in Cincinnati’s eventual 14-11 win, though the route to that score held many a twist and turn.

Cincinnati raced out to a 7-0 lead, for instance, with 4 runs in the Bottom of the 1st and a trio more an inning later off Milwaukee starter Adrian Houser. Unfortunately, though, Reds starter Vlad Gutierrez began to let that lead leak a bit himself, eventually exiting after 4.2 IP with 4 ER allowed.

Still, the Cincinnati offense kept right on churning out runs. TJ Friedl paced the top of the order with a 3 for 4 day that included a walk and a trio of runs scored. Brandon Drury walked thrice behind him, with Tommy Pham having yet another huge day from the 3-spot (3 for 4, 2 runs, 2 ribbies, and a walk). Tyler Stephenson bashed another pair of doubles in another monster game (3 for 5, 2 runs, 4 ribbies), while Colin Moran did, too (2 for 4, 3 ribbies, 3 runs, and a walk).

Tyler Naquin had a couple hits and a trio of ribbies. It was just a JNMHSotG kinda day with the bats, one that gave the Reds a 14-5 lead heading into the Top of the 9th inning.

That Top of the 9th sucked, admittedly, with your ability to do the math sitting right there. Still, it was good enough to lock up the win, the series, the team’s second consecutive series, and inspire at least a modicum of optimism that the garish start we saw to this year is not indicative of how this entire year will play out.

(Only most of it, I’ll assume.)

Tony Graphanino (link)

Other Notes

• The Reds will head to Pittsburgh in hopes their winning ways come with them, a four-game weekend set up next. Connor Overton will toe the rubber in Thursday’s series opener opposite JT Brubaker, with first pitch set for 6:35 PM ET because these MLB teams simply cannot settle on what time is the right time to start the daily baseball games.
• Tunes.