NEW YORK – Look who’s coming to town. Finally.
Having disposed of the Yankees in a quick, three-game trip to New York, the Reds return home this week for their first look this season at the National League Central leaders and two-time defending division champs.
And their first looks in a long time at some of their own.
The first series against the Milwaukee Brewers has been a long time coming for the Reds, who are just 2-13 against all the opponents in their division who are not currently in first place as they near the halfway mark of the season.
After beating the Yankees 4-1 on Father’s Day for just their fifth series win in the last 15, they’re 35-26 against non-division opponents.
Bring on the Brewers?
They won’t be the only strangers suiting up for games at Great American Ball Park this week.
Veteran setup man Pierce Johnson was set to rejoin the roster for the series opener after three weeks on the injured list rehabbing from elbow inflammation, the first in a quick sequence of expected returns.
All-Star shortstop Elly De La Cruz was expected back the next day after working back from a hamstring injury.
And closer Emilio Pagán faces Reds hitters in another simulated inning Monday before going on a quick minor-league rehab assignment ahead of returning in the next week or so from a nearly two-month hamstring injury.
And former All-Star Hunter Greene’s season debut (elbow) could be just a week or so behind that.
“I would like to say I’m the spark,” Johnson said with a smile. “Just kidding. But it’ll be a huge boost for the entire team, especially getting HG back and Emilio to anchor the back of the bullpen. It’s gonna be uplifting for everybody.”
Not to mention the lift De La Cruz should provide after the first IL stint of his career – and just four days after opening his rehab assignment with a two-hit game that included a long home run.
“That ball he hit, just left of the batter’s eye, sounded like a gunshot,” said Johnson, who made his rehab appearance in the same game for Triple-A Louisville. “It was great to see him back out on the field. Obviously, he’s one of the most electric guys in baseball.
“He looked like normal Elly.”
What the Reds won’t have against Milwaukee is their ace starter after Chase Burns made it 2-for-2 in impressive career starts against the Yankees with his ninth win of the season Sunday.
Almost a year to the day that he made his big-league debut at home against the Yankees, Burns (9-1) struck out seven and gave up just one run in five innings to drop his ERA to 2.00 and strengthen the case for an All-Star bid that already looks like a lock.
For those scoring at home, that’s 15 strikeouts in 10 innings over two starts against the Yankees (3.60 ERA).
The only run he gave up Sunday came on Ben Rice’s solo home run in the third, otherwise navigating traffic in every inning to pitch out of jams and using up 96 pitches to get the game to the bullpen in the sixth with a 3-1 lead.
A feat that might have been as special to Burns for its location as much as the “grind” it took to win.
“It’s a dream come true,” Burns said. “I was a Derek Jeter fan growing up, so to play in this stadium is huge for me.”
Tyler Stephenson provided the lead with a two-out, three-run homer into the Reds’ bullpen in left field in the fourth inning, Stephenson’s sixth homer of the season.
The Reds added on in the ninth after Spencer Steer took advantage of Yankees lollygagging to turn a seeing-eye single into a double, then continued to third on center fielder Jose Caballero’s throwing error.
He scored on Noelvi Marte’s one-out double.
By the end of the day, the Reds suddenly had a season sweep of series against the big-spender New York teams, winning two of three in each of two series against the Mets and then this one at Yankee Stadium.
In fact, they handed the American League-leading Yankees their first pair of back-to-back losses since June 2-3 (Cleveland).
And this: In two seasons since Terry Francona took the managing reins, the Reds are 6-for-6 in series wins against the Mets and Yankees.
Not that the skipper wants to talk about that kind of stuff.
“Have you ever heard of the WPIAL?” Francona said.
The what?
“It’s the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association,” he said. “We need to do (expletive) good against all states.”
Like maybe Wisconsin?
“That would help.”
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Chase Burns, Reds beat Yankees to win series with Brewers up next
Reporting by Gordon Wittenmyer, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Gordon Wittenmyer, Cincinnati Enquirer | USA TODAY Network
