What made it heart-tearing for the Reds was that T.J. Friedl’s two-run triple in the top of the ninth gave the Reds a 6-5 lead.
All they needed were three outs from closer Alexis Diaz. He got one out and gave up two runs, aided by some shoddy defense by center fielder Nick Senzel.
Citizens Bank Park is a house of horrors for the Reds. Since 2014 they are 7-15 in CBP, their worst record in that span in a visiting park.
This one began as two starting pitchers dominating and finished as a wild slugfest.
For five innings, as Yogi Berra would say, “It was deja vu all over again.”
A week ago, Cincinnati Reds pitcher Nick Lodolo and Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Ranger Suarez were picture-perfect, each pitching seven scoreless innings.
The Reds won that one, 1-0, on Jose Berrero’s walk-off single in the ninth inning.
In the rematch Tuesday, Suarez and Lodolo each pitched five scoreless innings and Lodolo was painting a no-hitter.
Then came the sixth inning and both pitchers melted in the Pennsylvania humidity.
The Reds scored three in the top of the sixth, two coming on bases loaded walks and Suarez was removed with two outs.
With the bases still loaded, left hander Michael Plassmeyer made his Phillies debut and struck out Austin Romine on three pitches.
The long half inning may have had ill effects on Lodolo when he took the mound for the bottom of the sixth.
Number nine hitter Edmundo Sosa led off the inning with a double to right center, Philadelphia’s first hit.
After Lodolo struck out Kyle Schwarber, who has struck out seven times in the first two games of the series, he walked Rhys Hoskins on a full count.
Alex Bohm singled for a run and J.T. Realmuto tripled to left center for two runs and a tie game, 3-3.
Buck Farmer replaced Lodolo and his first pitch to Nick Castellanos was ripped for a single to left for a 4-3 Phillies lead. The hit extended his hitting streak to 13 games, and he continues to be a major pain in the neck to his former Reds’ team.
The Phillies stretched their lead to 5-3 in the seventh against relief pitcher Ian Gibaut. The first batter he faceed, number eight hitter Matt Vierling, drilled a long home run over the left field wall.
The Reds came roaring back in the eighth against Philadelphia relief pitcher Jose Alvarado with three straight hits to open the inning. But it produced only one run and left the Reds down, 5-4.
Mike Moustakas doubled to right center and Donovan Solano blooped a single to right. Aristides Aquino, who drew one of the bases loaded walks in the sixth, doubled off the left field wall for a run.
That put runners on third and second with no outs. Alvarado promptly struck out three straight — just called up from Class AAA Louisville Stuart Fairchild, Barrero and Austin Romine.
Barrero, who had one walk this season and 32 strikeouts, walked twice, including one with the bases loaded in the sixth. But he strikeout in the eighth gave him at least one whiff in all 18 games he has played.
And in that eighth, the Reds lost two players to injury while running the bases. Both Moustakas and Solano were replaced after limping in to third base.
Castellanos nearly homered in the eighth but left fielder Fairchild leaped against the wall to snag it … a run-saving catch that turned into a huge out … until the Phillies batted in the ninth.
Brad Hand, the Phillies fourth straight left hander, was asked to close it off in the ninth.
And he failed.
He retired Jonathan India, but Senzel reached on shortstop Edmundo Sosa’s throwing error, putting the potential tying run on base.
Kyle Farmer grounded to deep short and Sosa again threw wildly, although Farmer was credited with an infield hit, putting runners on second and first with one out.
Alejo Lopez, who replaced Moustakas, flied to right for the second out. Then came Friedl’s two-run triple after he replaced Solano. That put the Reds ahead, 6-5, heading into the bottom of the ninth.
Now it was Alexis Diaz’s turn to protect Cincinnati’s one-run lead in the bottom of the ninth.
He, too, failed.
He walked Jean Segura on a full count to open the inning. Pinch-hitter Bryson Stott doubled off the right field wall to tie it, 6-6. And Stott took third when center fielder Senzel missed two cutoff men.
Diaz struck out Vierling, but pinch-hitter Maton shot his game-winning single to right field.
In addition to losing Moustakas and Solano during the game, Graham Ashcraft was scheduled to pitch Wednesday but was placed on the 15-day injury list with right biceps soreness. His start will be taken by Mason native T.J. Zeuch.
In addition, Matt Reynolds was placed on the 10-day injured list with left hip pain. The Reds have used the injured list 49 times involving 35 players.
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