On Monday night in Great American Ball Park it was another loss to the Brewers, 3-2.
That’s 19 losses in their last 23 games in their own ball park to Milwaukee and 29th loss to the Brewers in their last 38 meetings.
Even a maimed batter eats them alive.
On Sunday, Christian Yelich was hit on the hand and taken out of the game because he couldn’t grip a bat.
After the game, after the Brewers swept three games in Philadelphia, Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy said, “Yelich probably will miss Monday’s game.”
But there he was, batting clean-up Monday night and when he struck out in the first inning he looked like a guy with a sore hand.
But in the fifth with the score 2-2, Reds starter Brady Singer fed him a sloppy slider and only the black batter’s eye in dead center prevented the ball from landing in the Ohio River.
The ball hit near the top of the batter’s eye, Yelich’s 13th homer and the game-winner.
The Reds did what they do so often. They scored runs in the first inning. They have scored 52 times in the first inning, most in the majors.
They scored two off Milwaukee starter Aaron Civale, but it could have been, should have, been more.
TJ Friedl opened the first with a double and what the Reds need are nine TJ Friedls. He was on base three times. That’s five times in the last eight games he has been on base three times.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
With one out, Elly De La Cruz singled home Friedl. Tyler Stephenson followed with a single, sending De La Cruz to third.
Spencer Steer dropped a surprise safety squeeze bunt to score De La Cruz to make it 2-0.
On the bunt, Milwaukee catcher William Contreras fell fielding the ball and while prone he threw wildly, putting runners on third and second with one out.
With an opportunity to add on, Will Benson struck out and Jose Trevino popped up.
“Um, the first inning,” said Reds Manager Tito Francona. “We did some good things to get second and third with one out and they had the infield in.
“He struck out Benson and got the next out,” he added. “That was the big chance for us.”
The Reds had five hits in the first two innings, then three the rest of the way and one was a Friedl bunt hit and another was an infield hit by Stephenson.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Civale, making his third start after a long stay on the injured list, held the Reds to no runs and two hits after the second inning and turned it over to his bullpen after 5⅓ innings.
“Civale doesn’t break the radar gun, but he spins it so well and there’s life to his fastball,” said Francona after Civale went to 3-and-0 for his career against the Reds.
“There aren’t many pitches that are straight, he is either cutting it or goes real slow with a breaking ball. He has good command of that.”
The Brewers tied it in the second when they filled the bases with a single, double and a walk to fill the bases.
Reds starter Brady Singer walked No. 9 hitter Joey Ortiz to force in a run. Ortiz was hitting .187 and was 1 for 18 for his career with the bases loaded.
Brice Turang hit a sacrifice fly to tie it, 2-2, setting it up for Yelich.
From there, it was definitely against all odds for the Reds.
They have only seven come-from-behind wins all season and only bottom-feeders Pittsburgh, Colorado and the Chicago White Sox are worse.
And when Milwaukee leads after eight innings they are 30-1.
Friedl’s bunt hit opened the fifth and then Lady Luck looked the other way from the Reds. On a 3-and-2 count, Friedl was running. Lux drilled one up the middle. But because he was covering second on Friedl’s steal attempt, shortstop Ortiz was standing at second base, enabling him to field the ball, stomp on second and throw to first for a double play.
“That was the biggest play of the game for us,” said Francona. “Luxy had a 3-2 count, Friedl’s running and because he’s running the shortstop is standing right where the ball went.
“That’s first and third with nobody out and that turned out to be a big play for us,” he added.
Stephenson’s leadoff infield single began the sixth and pinch-hitter Connor Joe singled, putting runners on second and first with one out.
Trevino struck out and pinch-hitter Santiago Espinal grounded out and is 0-for-17.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Gavin Lux walked with two outs in the seventh, but De La Cruz struck out. That was it. The last seven Reds went down in order as the Brewers won their eighth straight.
The Reds? Losers in eight of their last 12 and they are 2-and-8 against the National League Central.
So what is the commonality of the Reds’ frustrating losses?
“I don’t know if I know,” said Francona. “Every game is different, has its own personality. I understand we haven’t come through. And that’s the commonality. If I had a reason, we wouldn’t be struggling and doing it.”
NEXT GAME
Who: Milwaukee at Cincinnati
When: 7:10 p.m.
TV: FanDuel Sports
Radio: 1410-AM, 700-AM
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