Are the Cincinnati Reds the most head-scratching team in Major League Baseball?
How else could you explain a 26-22 record since the All-Star break despite ranking bottom 10 in MLB in runs scored and runs allowed? Or how about spending 93 of the last 100 days in the NL Central cellar despite historic seasons from three of their core players?
Sure, the Reds are not the 2021 Toronto Blue Jays, who missed the playoffs despite hitting the most homers in the league and posted a plus-183 run differential with a rotation anchored by American League Cy Young winner Robbie Ray.
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But the anomalies of a once-promising season that went downhill quickly continued Sunday, Sept. 6, when the Reds secured their first home series win over the Brewers since May 2022.
That daunting late-season schedule? Yeah, the last-place Reds (69-74) have now won three straight series over NL contenders after Sunday’s 12-8 slugfest over the NL-Central leading Brewers in front of 23,310 fans at Great American Ball Park.
Four years ago, the 7-24 Reds won two of three from the Brewers. The Reds then lost nine consecutive series (going 6-24) to Milwaukee at GABP until this weekend.
In 2022, Vladimir Gutierrez started the rubber game against the Brewers, which turned into a high-scoring shootout (14-11) win for Cincinnati.
Sunday's matinee followed a similar script as the Reds (like on May 11, 2022) never trailed, but zeroes on the scoreboard were at a premium. The two offenses combined for 20 runs on 21 hits with 20 walks.
Milwaukee left-hander Kyle Harrison continued his struggles away from American Family Field (5.94 ERA on the road), giving up six runs (four earned) on nine hits before getting pulled in the fourth inning.
Tyler Stephenson began the scoring with an RBI single. The Reds made it 3-0 in the second on a throwing error by Brewers’ third baseman David Hamilton and a Sal Stewart sacrifice fly. Juan Brito’s RBI double in the third put the Reds up 4-0.
Every time the Brewers began chipping away, the Reds offense had an answer. In the top of the fourth inning, Elly De La Cruz launched a two-run homer that gave Cincinnati a 6-3 lead.
After the Brewers tied the game, the Reds scored three more times off Milwaukee reliever Antonio Senzatela. De La Cruz ripped a 116 mile-per-hour missile into the gap for a two-run double that put the Reds ahead for good. Stephenson’s second RBI single of the afternoon made it 9-6.
Granted an early lead, Reds’ starter Brady Singer couldn’t hold it as baseball’s best offense relentlessly rallied back.
Much like his start in Monday’s loss to San Diego, Singer began to struggle in his second time through the Milwaukee order. Against the Padres, Singer allowed four runs on six consecutive hits in the fourth inning.
In Sunday’s fourth inning, he walked two batters, gave up a two-run homer and committed a throwing error on a Milwaukee sacrifice bunt attempt.
Singer’s start was highlighted by his inability to find the strike zone at crucial times, throwing just 50 of 97 pitches for strikes. With two outs in the fifth, Singer issued two straight walks, then back-to-back RBI hits by Milwaukee’s Garrrett Mitchell and Brice Turang to tie the game at six.
Singer walked a career-high six batters and allowed six runs over five innings but recorded his first win at Great American Ball Park since June 16 thanks to a red-hot offense that couldn't stop playing add-on.
Luis Mey and Brock Burke needed just 17 combined pitches for two scoreless innings. Graham Ashcraft ran into trouble in his first outing since May, walking two batters before an RBI single by Milwaukee's Bo Naylor trimmed the lead to 9-7. Ashcraft retired the next three hitters, striking out Christian Yelich (who hit for the cycle the last time the Reds won a home series over the Brewers) to strand the tying run on base.
The Reds decided they weren't done denting the plate in the bottom of the eighth inning. Brito and Hector Rodriguez combined for six hits and five runs. Rodriguez singled home some insurance in the eighth and two more Reds came around to score when a Dane Myers' grounder was misplayed by Hamilton.
The dramatics didn't end with a five-run cushion. Pierce Johnson came on in the ninth inning and issued two more walks and an RBI single. A game-ending double play was reviewed, and overturned, prompting Emilio Pagán to come out of the bullpen. Pagán got Gary Sanchez to ground out to end the marathon.
Cincinnati Reds began road trip against Los Angeles Dodgers
The Reds will return to Dodger Stadium for the first time since being swept out of the MLB playoffs last October.
The Reds and Dodgers will meet for a three-game series Sept. 7-9 before LA visits Great American Ball Park for a four-game series Sept. 14-17.
The Reds' six-game road trip then visits Milwaukee Sept. 11-13.
Monday's opener against the Dodgers will feature Chase Burns in his first start since the Reds announced their plan to manage the All-Star's mounting innings down the stretch. Burns will begin the game, then will be replaced by left-hander Brandon Williamson.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Reds get 1st home series win over Brewers since 2022
