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Tigers 8 Reds 2
Based on how the week had unfolded, this one felt inevitable. The bill was going to come due. It did Thursday afternoon.
A taxed Reds bullpen plus a red hot Detroit starting pitcher added up to an 8-2 Tigers win.
After needing 11 innings from the bullpen in the first games of the series, navigating 27 outs on Thursday figured to be the challenge for the Reds.
But solving Tigers rookie pitcher Reese Olson also proved a challenge. The 24 year old Olson tossed six innings of one run ball.
The Reds do take 2 of 3 in the series. They stand 76-72 on the season with 14 games remaining. Next up: Three game series at Mets starting Friday.
Tiger Tales: Detroit scored a run in the first off Reds opener Derek Law. They made it 3-0 in the 5th on an Akil Baddoo two-run homer off Ben Lively.
The door was blown open in the 8th when Matt Vierling crushed a grand slam off Buck Farmer.
Snapped: The bullpen scoreless streak ended at 23 innings on a two-run homer by Akil Baddoo in the 4th inning.....their longest streak since 2013.
Law 1.0 IN, 2 H, HBP, WP, R. 27 pitches.
Moll 1.0 IN,
Lively 4.1 IN, 3R, HR
Farmer 1.1 IN, 4 R, GS
Reds batters hit balls hard vs Olsen, but struck out looking six times in the first four innings and didn't manage a hit until a Jake Fraley leadoff single to start the 6th inning. Olson continued his late season roll, having allowed just four runs over his last four starts.
Taking a shot: Trailing 4-1 in the 8th, David Bell played his bench cards vs LHP Tyler Holton. Nick Senzel singled, as a pinch hitter for Elly De La Cruz. Noelvi Marte singled, batting for Will Benson. Hunter Renfroe struck out. CES pinch hit for Nick Martini. He got a RHP in a pitching change and bounced into a DP to end the inning.
Steering one: Spencer Steer broke up the shutout with a solo blast, his team leading 21st, in the 6th. It was Steer's first hit of the series.
Into the record books: The Steer homer was the 55th homer by a Reds rookie this season, the most in franchise history.
Elly things: De La Cruz picked up his 12th error when he booted a ball. He has a weird issue with seeing the ball into his mitt. With a left hander on the mound in the 8th, Nick Senzel pinch-hit for De La Cruz and singled.
At 'em balls: The Reds clobbered three balls off Olsen at 103 mph+ and hit five at over 99mph....only one, the Steer blast, was a hit.
How the Reds scored:
6th Steer HR, 3-1 Tigers
9th Friedl HR (14), 8-2
Transactions:
Reinstated from the COVID-19 IL Ben Lively
Selected from Chattanooga RHP Carson Spiers
Returned to Louisville as a substitute player Connor Phillips.
Placed on the 15-day IL RHP Tejay Antone (right elbow discomfort).