Reds erase 6-run deficit, come back to beat Rangers for second straight night

Folks, we’ve got ourselves a little win streak. For the second straight night, the Cincinnati Reds have mounted a big comeback to defeat the Texas Rangers. Other than failing to score in the first inning, things looked eerily similar to Monday night’s game. After managing to collect only 3 hits and no runs through 6 innings, things did not look like they’d turn out like they did last night. But a run in the 7th and a 6-run 8th was enough to get the Reds over the hump and earn the victory.

The early innings of the game were largely uneventful. Outside of a solo home run in the top of the 1st by Nathaniel Lowe, Reds’ starter Luke Weaver mostly kept the Rangers’ bats pretty quiet in the early going. Things started to get a little shaky for Weaver in the top of the 4th. Though he only allowed 1 run, he gave up 2 hits and hit a batter to put the Rangers up 2-0.

Things started to fall apart in the 5th, however. Marcus Semien got things started with a 1-out solo shot to left for the 3rd run of the evening. The Rangers didn’t stop there. Travis Jankowski reached on a single to left and then, after a Nathaniel Lowe ground out, moved to third on a single Adolis Garcia. That brought up Josh Jung, who brought both runners in on a double to center to put the Rangers up 5-0. They’d tack on another in the 6th on a solo shot by Josh H. Smith, which would end Weaver’s night and turn things over to the bullpen.

In recent weeks, we’d pack it up and go about our night. But this week is not recent weeks. This week is this week, and the Reds had other plans. The comeback started in the bottom of the 7th, as the Reds started off the inning with 3-straight singles by Henry Ramos, Kevin Newman, and Nick Senzel, the latter of which would drive in the Reds’ 1st run of the evening. Then came the bottom of the 8th.

With 1 out in the inning, Stuart Fairchild reached after getting hit by a pitch and then moved to 3rd on a single by Tyler Stephenson. A single by Henry Ramos would bring in Fairchild and move Stephenson to 2nd to get the scoring started. After a Kevin Newman line out, Nick Senzel would single to left to drive in Ty Steve to cut the deficit to 6-3. A Jose Barrero walk would load the bases and that would prompt a pitching change from the Rangers. David Bell had already replaced TJ Friedl with Wil Myers, and then the pitching change prompted him to replace Myers with Jake Fraley. That ended up working out, as Fraley would flare a ball into left to drive in Stephenson and Senzel to cut the Rangers’ lead to 6-5. The comeback would be completed with Jonathan India, who laced a ball into center to drive in Barrero and Fraley to give the Reds a 7-6 lead.

Alexis Diaz was brought in to close it out, and he slammed the door with a near-perfect inning for the 7-6 win.

[Link to interactive FanGraphs WPA chart and box score]

Other Notes

• Tonight’s win was the first time the Reds had come back from a 6-run deficit since July 19, 2012. Remember 2012? That was fun.
• Nick Senzel has been struggling since he got off the IL. He had one of his best nights at the plate tonight, as he went 3-4 with 2 RBI and a run scored, earning him tonight’s Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game.
• That was the Reds’ 1st series win since the opening series of the season. Neat.
• The Reds look for the sweep tomorrow as Graham Ashcraft (2-0, 1.88 ERA) takes the bump against Jon Gray (1-1, 3.72 ERA). First pitch is at 12:35 PM EDT.
• Tunes.