But it wasn’t that easy.
It took six innings of one-run, one-hit pitching by Singer and a five-run eighth-inning explosion against the watered-down Arizona bullpen for the Reds to pull this one out.
As a result, the Reds ended a three-game losing streak, avoided getting swept for the first time this season and gained a game on the New York Mets in the wild card argument, back to 1 1/2 games behind.
Amazingly, Singer threw his six-inning one-hitter to rookie catcher Will Banfield, making his MLB starting debut after catching one inning Saturday.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
“I trusted what Will put down back there,” Singer told reporters after winning his fifth game in his last six starts. “He was tremendous. He did a lot of homework all week. I told him a couple of days ago, ‘You’re catching me Sunday,’ and he went to work and was phenomenal.”
Singer, who owns an arsenal as large as the U.S. Army, relied heavily this day on a sweeper and struck out nine. He retired the final nine Diamondbacks. He struck out the side in the fifth.
And this was against a team that averaged more than five runs a game over its last 16.
But he did have to circumvent a couple of messes.
Elly De La Cruz made his MLB-leading 19th error with one out in the second and with two outs first baseman Spencer Steer made a rare error.
That put two on with two outs and Singer picked up his teammates by striking out ever-dangerous Geraldo Perdomo.
He walked two in the third, but got out of it via a fly ball by James McCann.
“I felt a little weird in the first when I couldn’t get command on Perdomo,” said Singer. “But I got it together and trusted Will. I never second-guessed any pitch he called.”
Reds manager Tito Francona sensed a bit of frustration after the D-Backs scored the first-inning run.
“It looked like he might be frustrated because he gave up that one run early, but he kept them right there,” Francona told reporters.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Singer gave up that leadoff triple to Geraldo Perdomo and he scored on a sacrifice fly.
And that was it. The D’Backs got no more hits off Singer. But that, too, was not easy. He had to pitch around his three walks and his teammates’ three errors.
And the Reds were doing nothing against Arizona starter Zac Gallen.
Through five innings they had no runs and only two hits and they were up to old dog tricks — 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position.
Down 1-0 in the sixth with one out, Noelvi Marte lined a triple to center field and continued home when shortstop Perdomo’s relay throw bounced wildly.
“Marte’s base-hit and his base-running were really big,” said Francona.
So it was 1-1 in the seventh when the Reds loaded the bases with one out. TJ Friedl bounced into an inning-ending double play to keep it a 1-1.
Then came the eighth and Cincinnati’s volcanic eruption against the more-than-suspect Arizona bullpen.
Noelvi Marte led off the inning with a single and then performed one of those little things that never pop up in a box score but win ball games.
De La Cruz flied out to the right field corner. Instead of going halfway, Marte tagged up at first and challenged right fielder Corbin Carroll, owner of one of the strongest arms in baseball.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
No problem. Marte slid safely into second, enabling him to score on an Austin Hays single, his third hit of the game to give the Reds a 2-1 lead.
And they didn’t stop. Gavin Lux singled. That brought up Spencer Steer, who ended a 0 for 16 slide with a leadoff double in the seventh when the Reds didn’t score.
This time he turned on a 0-and-1 86 miles an hour sweeper offered by Juan Burgos and gave it a 397-foot ride into the left field seats, a three-run homer for a 5-1 lead.
“Spencer has been so close in this series, a couple that he hit 411 feet when the wall is 413,” said Francona. “That (homer) spreaded it out and really helped.”
And Steer’s reaction, as always, was about the team.
“This was a good bounce back,” he said after the Reds lost the first two, including 10-1 Saturday. “We got our teeth kicked in yesterday and we had a chance to come back today and do something about it.
“I’m proud of this group because we came out today and finally won one,” he added. “It started with Marte’s Little League home run (to tie it). It felt like we scored 10 at that moment. He’s a great player and it seems like when he goes, we go.”
Steer’s home run was the candles. The icing, though, was Hays’ big tie-breaking hit.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
“I thought we were swinging the bats really good,” said Hays. “The first six innings we had a bunch of line-outs, taking good swings. Finally, we were able to get into their bullpen and make things happen.”
Despite the three-straight losses, Francona liked what he saw, other than the scores.
“I thought we had good energy,” he said. “We’re not scoring a lot of runs. But they’re playing. It’s nice to see some guys on base runnnin’ and scorin’ and gettin’ dirty.”
There is no rest for the Reds. They open a three-game series Monday night in Dodger Stadium against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
NEXT GAME
Who: Cincinnati at L.A. Dodgers
When: 10:10 p.m.
TV: FanDuel Sports
Radio: 1410-AM, 700-AM
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