Opening Day: Cincinnati Reds-Philadelphia Phillies live updates

Scott Schebler led off the inning with a single to right field, and Scooter Gennett homered to left field to make it a one-run game.

That energized the home crowd once again, but it was short-lived.

Billy Hamilton flew out to center to end the game, a 4-3 Phillies win.

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Billy Hamilton electrified the crowd with a triple in the bottom of the seventh, but he was stranded there when Jose Peraza struck out.

Peraza earlier grounded into a double play with two on and one out.

The inning began with Scotter Gennett lining into a hard-luck double play at first base after Tucker Barnhart led off with a walk.

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The Phillies added a run in the top of the sixth inning on pitcher Jeremy Hellickson’s two-out, RBI triple to right field.

Scott Schebler made a sliding attempt to catch the ball but it got by him and went to the wall.

That allowed Freddy Galvis to score easily from second as the Philadelphia starter hoofed around second and beat the rely throw to third.

Reliever Blake Wood retired Cesar Hernandez in the following at-bat to strand Hellickson at third and keep the visitors’ lead at 4-1.

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Making his major-league debut, Barrett Astin came on for the Reds with two on, two out and his team trailing by two runs in the top of the fifth inning.

He got Maikel Franco to hit a grounder to Zack Cozart, but the Reds short stop couldn’t handle it cleanly and all hands were safe.

Astin moved past the miscue behind him, though, and got Michael Saunders to ground out to first baseman Joey Votto to end the threat with the Phillies’ lead still 3-1.

In the bottom of the frame, Patrick Kivlehan pinch hit for Astin to start the inning and struck out on a full count.

Billy Hamilton tried to bunt for a hit but was thrown out.

Jose Peraza extended the inning with a single to right field, but Joey Votto flied out to center to end it.

******EARLIER********

After Joey Votto opened the bottom of the fourth by popping out to the third baseman in foul territory, Adam Duvall pounded a single through the shift on the left side of the infield.

Eugenio Suarez was hit by a pitch, and Scott Schebler walked to load the bases, bringing Zack Cozart to the plate.

He flied out to left field.

With two outs, Tucker Barnhart gave one a ride to the alley in left to no avail.

The rain subsided some during the bottom of the fourth before picking back up again in the top of the fifth.

After Eugenio Suarez made a very nice play on a grounder down the third base line to retire Jeremy Hellickson, Scott Feldman struck out Cesar Hernandez.

Howie Kendrick pounded one off the wall in centerfield for a two-out double, and Odubel Herrera walked.

That ended Feldman’s afternoon after 4 2/3 innings.

He went to the clubhouse trailing 3-1.

*******EARLIER*******

Trailing 3-0 entering the bottom of the third, the Reds got their first two runners on by singles.

Facing a two-strike count, Reds starting pitcher Scott Feldman laid down a perfect bunt along the third-base line that pitcher Jeremy Hellickson fielded and unwisely threw to third.

Zack Cozart beat the throw, and all hands were safe with no one out.

Billy Hamilton followed with a sacrifice fly to right field to score the first Reds run of the day.

The rally died without anymore action, though, as Jose Peraza grounded a double-play ball to shortstop Freddy Galvis.

Reds starter Scott Feldman followed that up with his first perfect inning, retiring the Phillies’ 6-7-8 hitters in the top of the fourth as rain began to fall.

****With the thermometer reading 68 degrees, Reds starter Scott Feldman delivered the first pitch at 4:10.

The game started on time.

So did the struggles of Cincinnati starting pitching.

The seats were only about half full — amid reports many fans were stuck in line outside — and Cesar Hernandez greeted Feldman with a home run to right field on a full count.

The crowd thought Feldman had Hernandez struck out twice, but the man whose opinion counts didn’t agree.

Howie Kendrick then lashed one past a diving Joey Votto at first base for a single.

After a double play off the bat of Odubel Herrera, Feldman gave up a single to Maikel Franco, who scored on a double to left-center by Michael Saunders.

The Reds nearly had Franco at the plate, but the relay throw bounced in and Tucker Barnhart was unable to apply the tag.

Feldman ended the inning by striking out Tommy Joseph swinging.

Joey Votto came on as the tying run in the bottom of the first but grounded into a double play, erasing Jose Peraza, who singled with one out.

2-0 Phillies through one inning.

The Phillies tacked on another run as Freddy Galvis homered to right field with one out in the second.

Feldman logged three strikeouts and allowed two homers in his first two innings as a Red.

Cincinnati went quietly in the bottom of the second as Adam Duvall flew out and Eugenio Suarez and Scott Schebler grounded out.

PREGAME

The lineups are set.

The hot dogs are hot.

The river is brown.

There is no rain (yet) but a little bit of sun from time to time.

Now all Cincinnati needs is some baseball.

Follow along as we update the action from Opening Day at Great American Ball Park.

The Reds are set to host the Phillies at 4:10.

In the meantime, check out Hal McCoy's season preview and Marcus Hartman's outlook on the year.