Reds 7 Diamondbacks 3
Jake Fraley’s two out, 6th inning double scored Spencer Steer to break a 3-3 tie and the Reds went on to a 7-3 win over the Diamondbacks Sunday afternoon at GABP. Make it five straight wins and a series sweep.
The Reds led 3-0 before seeing the Diamondbacks tie the game in the 5th. Things got dicey in 9th at 7-3. Levi Stoudt started the inning, retiring one batter, but putting two on base. Lucas Sims came on and walked a batter to load the bases but got a DP to slam the door with the tying run at the plate.
Bullpen: 5 IN, 0 R.....Farmer, Law, Gibaut, Cruz, Stoudt, Sims.
Sweeper: The Reds first sweep of Arizona since 2012 and their first of the Diamondbacks at GABP since 2007. That’s eight series sweeps this season.
Add on: Leading 4-3 in the 8th, the Reds were able to string together hits by TJ Friedl, Matt McLain and Spencer Steer (RBI) to provide an insurance run on a day Alexis Diaz wasn’t available. CES then lined a two run single the other way to make it 7-3.
Clinical: 8 different Reds produced 13 hits, five players with 2 hits….Friedl, Steer, McLain, CES, Maile. Man, this team is full of dudes that just flat out know how to hit.
Rested and ready: Back in the lineup, Elly tattooed a ball for his 5th HR to start the game..110.7 off the bat and 407 feet. It was his first long ball since July 5.
Luke Weaver: 4 IN, 8 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 1 K. He survived the 1st without allowing a run, having entered with a 14.06 ERA in the opening frame this season. You could sense trouble developing with 2 two out hits in the 4th. Trouble really arrived in the 5th. The first four reached/three scored, including a Corbin Carrol two run shot. David Bell seemed to be caught flat footed with his bullpen. Weaver was done. Buck Farmer came on. The Reds have won 9 of hist last 10 stats.
Gloving’ it: Matt McLain made two excellent defensive plays in the 2nd inning, one charging a ball to his backhand and the other to his backhand into the outfield grass.
Jake Fraley made a heck of play to cutoff a single to RF, turn and throw to cut down Ketel Marte between 1st and 2nd.
Streaking: This is the Reds 5th winning streak of at least five games this season.
Youngest Reds with leadoff HR, since 1900:
2008, Jay Bruce: 21 years, 71 days…20008, Jay Bruce: 21 years, 90 days…
Sunday Elly De La Cruz: 21 years, 193 days….Per Sarah Langs, MLB.
Local produce: Luke Maile collected two hits, that’s five in his last two starts.
Comical: Maile hit a three bouncer up the middle that Arizona 2B Marte reached for and whiffed on. It was ruled a hit. At this point, there really is no reason to give errors. Any ball a batter hits and reaches safely on should just be recorded as a hit.
Workload: Diaz had pitched back to back games and appeared in 3 of 4 and 5 of last 7 games. He gets rest before heading to Milwaukee.
Heck of a rendition of God Bless America by Katja Loeb. Dang.
Day off: Votto, Stephenson, Benson.
How the Reds scored
1st: Elly HR, 1-0 Reds
2nd: Senzel 2-out, 2-run HR, 3-0 Reds
6th: Fraley 2-out, 2-R 2B (vs LHP), 4-3 Reds
8th: Steer RBI 1B, 5-3 Reds
8th: CES 2-run 1B, 7-3 Reds
Next: 10 game road trip starting with three in Milwaukee Monday night