A long day of baseball at Great American Ball Park ended with the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Guardians splitting their day-night doubleheader.
After dropping the afternoon contest that was pushed into July 28 after the game was rained out a night earlier, Cincinnati went up 1-0 in the first inning and didn't look back in an eventual 2-0 victory.
Reds reliever Caleb Ferguson opened the game as Cincinnati's starter before giving way to Julian Garcia. Jose Franco, Cincinnati's added player for the second game of the doubleheader, took the bulk of the innings (three and 2/3 IP), although he was removed from the game unexpectedly in the seventh inning in the middle of an at-bat.
The club later announced Franco had right elbow discomfort.
JJ Bleday hit a solo home run in the first inning and Ivan Johnson scored an insurance run after singling for his first-career major league hit.
The Reds can win their fourth consecutive series with a victory against Cleveland on July 29, but at 50-56 and with 56 games remaining in the regular season, the Reds' second-half climb toward contention is moving slowly.
Sweeping the doubleheader was possible, and it would have stirred further interest in a Reds clubhouse attempting to stay intact at the fast-approaching trade deadline. Cincinnati opened play on July 28 4.5 games out of the third National League wild card spot.
A split in the doubleheader meant Cincinnati is 7-4 since the All-Star break.
In the first game of the day, Cincinnati recovered from a 4-0 first-inning deficit to take a 5-4 lead, but the Guardians' José Ramirez stole two bases in Cleveland's next at-bat after falling behind. He would score to tie the game, and the Guardians plated the game-winning run in the eighth inning on a squeeze-bunt play.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Reds, Guardians split doubleheader. Here's what happened
