Open-er and shut, Reds fall to Guardians

Guardians 5 Reds 3 

Nick Martinez struggled out of the bullpen for the first time this season, allowing as many runs in the 3rd inning (3) as he’d allowed all season from the pen. 

The Reds offense missed early chances, going 1 for 8 w/ RISP over the first four innings vs Cleveland starter Triston McKenzie.
Offense: 6 H, 3 BB, 11 K…….Last four games: 12 R (3-4-2-3).

Things turned in the 1st inning. Friedl opened the game w/ a single, raced to 2nd on a poor pickoff throw, and scored on Jeimer Candelario 2B. But Guardians CF Tyler Freeman made a leaping catch at the wall to rob Spencer Steer of a double and then another to rob Jake Fraley of a homer in the inning.

Trailing 5-2 in the 9th, the Reds scored a run in the 9th off closer Emmanuel Classe on an RBI single by Jonathan India. Blake Dunn was hit in the head by a 101 mph pitch. He stayed in the game. The winning run came to the plate w/ 2 outs in TJ Friedl. He lined out to shortstop to end the game.

Martinez: 1.2 IN, 4 H, BB, 3 R. He replaced Brent Suter with a six pitch 2nd. But then a 3 run, 33 pitch 3rd. Brayan Rocchio 10 pitch BB/ Steven Kwan followed with 9 pitch 2-RBI 2B. He entered w/ 1.01 bullpen ERA (3 ER in 26.2)…7.36 as a starter (25.2).

Suter: 1.0, 0 R. 15 pitch 1st inning. He reached 500 career innings.  The Reds had won twice this season (LAD) when employing Suter as their ‘opener’

The Reds cut it to 3-2 in the 6th and put the tying run on 2nd w/ 1 out. The Guardians went to their MLB best bullpen (2.35 ERA). PH Stuart Fairchild BB. Tyler Stephenson FC. PH Santiago Espinal K.

Candelario: 2B, RBI, hitting .325 over his last 10 games.
Elly: BB, R
Jacob Hurtubise: BB, SB 

McKenzie settled down and pitched into the 6th. He is long, gangly and demonstrative. Reminds me of Dennis ‘Oil Can’ Boyd. 
Cleveland pen: 3.2 IN, 1 R, 7 K. 

The Guardians led 3-2 before tacking on a run in the 8th vs Fernando Cruz and another in the 9th vs Buck Farmer for a 5-2 lead.

Bullpen: Moll 1.1 IN (22 pitches), Sims 1.1 (14 pitches), Wilson 1.0 (18 pitches). Cruz 0.2 (HR, 17 pitches), Farmer 2.0 (R, 27 pitches)

How they scored:
1st Candelario RBI 2B, 1-0 Reds 
6th Steer RBI 1B, 3-2 Guardians 
9th India RBI 1B, 5-3 Guardians