There was holiday spirit but no Christmas in June Miracle for the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday, June 24.
Prior to the series finale against the Milwaukee Brewers, Reds’ players and staff passed out presents. The biggest thing on the team’s wish list was some base hits after scoring just one run and going 4-for-59 at the plate in the first two games against the Brewers with 27 strikeouts.
The Reds did put together some quality at-bats. They worked the count, collected hits and put runners on base, but squandered too many chances early before a late rally came up short in a 6-5 loss to the Brewers in front of 22,891 fans at Great American Ball Park.
Trailing 6-1 at the seventh-inning stretch, the Reds began to climb their way back on a two-out RBI double by Eugenio Suárez.
One inning later, Sal Stewart’s RBI groundout cut the deficit to three, and Spencer Steer followed with a towering two-run homer that made it 6-5.
Facing former Red Joel Kuhnel, Cincinnati loaded the bases with only one out in the bottom of the ninth inning. Making his debut in the No. 3 spot in the batting order, Dane Myers grounded into a game-ending double play.
“We were talking through all of the strategy in the ninth (inning). One of the things me and Freddie (Benavides) said was we thought it’d be hard to double up Dane (Myers),” Reds manager Terry Francona said. “That’s exactly what happened.”
One fortunate bounce early in Wednesday’s loss looked like it would turn around the Reds’ slumping bats. Steer led off the second inning with a single and Suárez blooped a ball into shallow right field that hit just inside the foul line and bounced into the stands for a ground-rule double.
The Reds, who had just one batter reach scoring position over the first two games of the series, had runners at third and second with no outs. Then, they loaded the bases with just one out after a Tyler Stephenson walk. Matt McLain proceeded to pop out, then Blake Dunn went down swinging.
Instead of a breakthrough inning, it became a theme on the night as the Reds totaled 11 hits and walked 11 times but left 16 runners on base. They also went 3-for-17 with runners in scoring position.
“We had a real good chance early, bases load, second and third with nobody out and couldn’t score,” Francona said. “I’d rather give ourselves chances. I know we left a lot of runners on. It’s better than not having anybody.”
Cincinnati got its leadoff hitter aboard in four straight innings but couldn’t dent the plate. Steer grounded into an inning-ending double play with runners at first and third. Two innings later, again with runners at the corners, he flew out to the warning track.
The Reds scored their first run of regulation this series in the sixth inning, when Dunn’s two-out double scored Noelvi Marte. Elly De La Cruz came up with runners on third and second but was robbed of a game-tying base hit on a diving catch by Mitchell in center field.
Pinch-hitter JJ Bleday represented the tying run in the seventh inning when he grounded out with the bases loaded.
While the Reds threatened to break the ice, the Brewers struck first with back-to-back homers by William Contreras and Mitchell in the third inning off of Cincinnati starter Rhett Lowder, who battled through 5 ⅔ innings (100 pitches) of three-run ball and fell to 3-5 on the year.
The Brewers got key insurance runs in the seventh off of Cincinnati reliever Sam Moll when pinch-hitter Andrew Vaughn cleared the bases with a three-run double that made it 6-1.
Milwaukee completes the sweep and drops Cincinnati even lower in the NL Central cellar (12.5 games back). The Reds now sit at 2-16 against divisional opponents and 35-26 against the rest of baseball. It’s an astonishing contrast for a club trying to climb back into the playoff race during a make-or-break stretch heading into next month’s All-Star break and the all-important trade deadline (Monday, Aug. 3).
“It’s tough. We just gotta keep playing and playing hard,” Lowder said. “Good baseball could be right around the corner. We just gotta keep showing up every single day and playing hard.”
After off day, Reds take NL Central struggles on the road
The Reds are off on Thursday, June 25 before opening up a seven-game road trip against divisional opponents.
The Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates will meet for the third time this season, the second time at PNC Park. The first trip was a disaster for the Reds as they were swept to begin May and outscored in the series, 27-8.
The Pirates have not listed their probable pitchers for the series but reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes would be in line to start the series opener if Pittsburgh sticks with its rotation. Skenes pitched in a 2-1 loss against the Rockies on Saturday, June 20.
The Reds probable pitchers for the series are Andrew Abbott, Chase Burns and Brady Singer.
The Reds will then have a rematch with the Brewers in a four-game series in Milwaukee June 30-July 2. In what has become a one-sided rivalry, the Reds have not had a winning record in a full season against the Brewers (6-4 in 2020) since 2016.
“Every game is different and I always feel that way,” Francona said of his team’s struggles with Milwaukee. “They’re hard to beat because they challenge you in so many ways. We just have to be more consistent in a number of areas.”
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Missed opportunities haunt Cincinnati Reds as Brewers complete sweep
Reporting by Shelby Dermer, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Shelby Dermer, Cincinnati Enquirer | USA TODAY Network
