And the Guardians are road warriors, 22-14.
Cleveland center fielder Tyler Freeman should have worn a mask in the first inning because he performed double larceny on the Reds.
The Reds scored a run in the first inning against Cleveland starter Tristan McKenzie and had a runner on second with one out.
—Spencer Steer exploded a long drive to center field. Freeman leaped and snagged the ball before it crashed against the yellow line atop the wall, a sure-fire run-scoring double.
—Jake Fraley hit one higher and deeper to center. There was Freeman again, this time going above the wall to grab it, a sure-fire two-run home run.
In baseball, nothing is sure-fire or sure-thing.
With no starter available, the Reds used another Bullpen Day, seven different pitchers trudging to the mound.
Brent Suter pitched a scoreless first, giving up a leadoff single to Steven Kwan, who finished the night with three hits, two RBI and a run scored. That raised his batting average to .380.
Nick Martinez pitched the second and went 1-2-3 on six pitches. The third inning was polar opposite, 33 pitches to get two outs.
And he gave up three runs.
It began with a 10-pitch walk to Bryan Rocchio. Number nine hitter Bo Naylor doubled to right, putting runners on third and second.
Martinez barged ahead of Kwan 0-and-2, but on the ninth pitch of the at bat Kwan poked an opposite field two-run double to left.
Freeman singled Kwan to third and Josh Naylor singled Kwan home and the Guardians led, 3-1.
The Reds scored a run in the sixth and knocked McKenzie out of the game, but he was credited with the win and the Guardians have won nine of his last 10 starts.
Elly De La Cruz opened the sixth with a walk, took second on a ground ball and scored on Spencer Steer’s single, cutting Cleveland’s advantage to 3-2.
The Guardians pushed their margin to 4-2 in the sixth when Josh Naylor blasted Fernando Cruz’s first pitch of the inning deep into the right field bleachers.
And the Guardians added a big run in the ninth off Buck Farmer that began with an infield single by Bo Naylor. He was called out, but replay/review revealed he was safe.
Farmer walked Kwan and Freeman bunted the runners to third and second. Bo Naylor scored on Josh Naylor’s fielder’s choice.
So the Reds trailed, 5-2, in the ninth and forced to face Emmanuel Clase, the classiest closer in MLB with 19 saves.
The Reds, though, put a fright into Clase and the Guardians, after there was a five-minute delay as security chased a fan all over the outfield grass.
Stuart Fairchild beat an infield hit. Clase struck out Tyler Stephenson and Santiago Espinal. After taking second on indifference, Fairchild scored on Jonathan India’s bloop single to left center and it was 5-3.
Clase then ripped a 101 mph cutter that knocked the helmet off rookie Blake Dunn. After a through examination, Dunn remained in the game.
The Reds had the potential tying runners on base and the potential game-winner in the batter’s box, T.J. Friedl. He picked on Clase’s first pitch and popped out and Clase had his 20th save, one of his shakiest ones.
While Cleveland was 3 for 12 with runners in scoring postion and stranded nine, the Reds were 3 for 13 with runners in scoring position and stranded se
The Reds are 0-and-1 in their pursuit of the obscure Ohio Cup, presented to the team that wins the season series.
Once when pitcher Tim Birtsas was asked if he was excited about pitching in an Ohio Cup game, he asked, “What’s that, a boat race?”
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