1-0, 1-0, 1-0. Twenty-eight straight innings, 28 straight zeros strung across the scoreboard.
The third straight 1-0 debacle came Thursday night to the Milwaukee Brewers in the Reds first road game of the season.
And the hits are dwindling — four hits in the first shutout, three hits in the second shutout and two hits Thursday night.
To make it more mysterious, the Reds were held to one hit over six innings by Milwaukee lefthander Nestor Cortes.
In his previous start against the New York Yankees, his first three pitches were clubbed for home runs. In two innings he gave up eight runs, five hits (all homers) and five walks.
The unfortunate Reds pitcher this time was Nick Lodolo, who gave up four hits and no walks over 6 2/3 innings. The one run was unearned, but it was his own fault.
Lodolo retired the first nine Brewers in order before Jackson Chourio led the fourth with a double off the top of the left-center wall.
With one out, William Contreras grounded to first baseman Christian Encarnacion-Strand. He flipped the ball to Lodolo, covering first. But he dropped the ball for an error.
With two outs, Sal Frelick shot a ground ball base hit between first and second and Chourio scored.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
And that was it.
“I tried to find the bag before I had the ball,” said Lodolo.
It looked as if Cortes might endure another meltdown when he walked TJ Friedl to start the game.
But he struck out Matt McLain, Elly De La Cruz flied out against the right field wall and Encarnacion-Strand struck out.
The Reds first hit was a one-out double off the top of the wall by catcher Jose Trevino with one out in the third. Cortes and Trevino were batterymates last season with the Yankees.
After the double, Friedl grounded to the mound, McLain walked, putting runners on second and third, but De La Cruz took a called third strike.
Cortes then retired 11 straight, following the pattern of Texas pitcher Nathan Eovaldi and Jack Leiter, baffling the Reds with an assortment of off-speed pitches.
The Reds had a legitimate threat in the seventh against relief pitcher Elvis Peguero. Jeimer Candelario punched the Reds second and final hit, a single to right.
Pinch-hitter Gavin Lux drew a full-count walk, putting two on with one out. Spencer Steer flied to center on a full count and Santiago Espinal flied to center.
McLain reached on a two-base error with two outs in the eighth, the potential tying run.
De La Cruz, whose home run in the seventh inning of a 14-3 win over Texas four games ago, was the last run the Reds have scored.
This time he grounded out to third ending the mini-threat. Since his home run, De La Cruz has stranded seven runners.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Cortes gave up no runs, one hit, walked two and struck out six during his 86-pitch appearance.
“He pitched well,” said Reds manager Terry Francona after watching a third straight opposing starting pitcher handcuff his managerial options.
“He came off a real poor outing and you can tell as he got into the game his tempo picked up, his pitches were a little more crisp and he gained confidence. That’s what good pitchers do.”
And how about the Reds’ bats, listed as missing in action.
“They’re trying their ass off,” he said. “Maybe too hard. They’re fighting. We’re not going to have a situation where it’s us when we win and they when they lose. We’ll do this together, we’ll figure it out together.
“Nobody is happy with what’s happened the last three games,” he added. “We’ll figure it out together. I feel strongly about that.”
For the third straight game, Francona had to heap praise on his pitchers who have given up two earned runs in three games and lost all three.
Of Lodolo, he said, “Very strong. There is not much wiggle room for error. He had the bobble at first that was part of that (scoring) inning, but he was outstanding. He was a joy to watch.”
The game was a joy to watch, if nobody involved with the Reds glanced at the scoreboard.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Lodolo was asked about the team taking bats to home plate for no apparent reason and the pressure of making every pitch count.
“That’s part of the game,” he said. “I’ll be honest with you, I watched the score but I’m not really thinking about it. I have to do my job at the end of the day, regardless.
“We’ll turn it around, I guarantee you that,” he added.
And do his job he did. . .other than catching Encarnacion-Strand’s throw.
Losing to the Brewers is a bad habit. The Reds have lost 10 straight series to them and have lost 33 of their last 46 gamess to them.
About those Philadelphia Phillies who lost three straight 1-0 games in 1960. They finished 59-96, last place in the eight-team National League, 36 games out of first place.
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