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Red Sox 4 Reds 3
The Reds blew a 3-0 lead and showed once again exactly why they struggle to consistently win games.
Two outs on the bases + runner picked off 2nd + runner out the plate + throwing error + poorest throw home = another loss.
The deciding run scored in the 8th on a 229 foot sacrifice fly down the left field line. It's hard to do justice describing how poor a throw Stuart Fairchild made to the plate. I'll try: It was a 229 fly feet along the line. Fairchild, with no body alignment, no momentum and seemingly no sense of urgency, threw a three bouncer to the plate.
Outs on the bases: Elly picked off 2nd. Jake Fraley hesitated on a chopper in front of the plate and was out trying to score from 3rd.
Errors: Candelario throwing error opened the door to tying run scoring in the 8th.
Trailing 4-3 in the bottom of the 9th, Red Sox CF Jarren Duran went over the wall to rob Fairchild of a game-tying HR. TJ Friedl singled with two outs.
Elly De La Cruz flew out to end it.
Elly: 3 H, HR, fabulous D play, picked off 2nd
Spencer Steer: HR
Jonathan India: 2 H
Luke Maile: BB, SB....2nd steal this week. Ties career high with 2.
Fraley: 2 H. 15 games w/o RBI....48 games since last HR. Season: 1 HR, 9 RBI. Hard to fathom.
Tyler Stephenson: Pinch hit and in the 9th and fouled out. His first appearance since Tuesday.
Montas: 6 IN, 5 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 4 K, 72 pitches/52 strikes. Started melting in the heat with back-to-back doubles in the 6th to plate the 2nd run, but escaped
a major jam.
Pen:
Moll: 1.0
Wilson: 0.0, 3H, 2 R, 2 R
Sims: 1.0
Farmer: 01.0
How they scored:
1st: Steer, 2 HR, 2-0 Reds
3rd: Elly HR (13), 3-0 Reds