Category: Cincinnati Reds

By Hal McCoy
Contributing Writer

It was a night a guy named Ricky Karcher will have etched in his memory bank.

Ricky Karcher? He is a Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher who has sat in the bullpen for nearly a week after a call-up from Class AAA Louisville, waiting to make his major league debut.

It came Monday night in Kauffman Stadium in the 10th against the Kansas City Royals and despite some pitches that barely stayed in the area code he pitched a scoreless inning to preserve a 5-4 Reds victory.

Karcher’s fastballs never came close to home plate, so he went to sliders to pitch his way out of much trouble.

With the free runner on second base, Karcher walked Bobby Witt Jr. He retired Michael Massey on a fly ball to center field. The runners stole third and second, putting the potential tying run on third and the winning run on second.

He went to 3-and-0 on Edwaerd Olivares, went to 3-and-2 and coaxed a pop-up to third. He then went to 3-and-2 on Maikel Garcia before Garcia flied to left to end it.

That Karcher took a walk on the wild side was no shock. He came to the Reds lugging a 9.27 earned run average from Louisville with 34 walks in 22 inning.

Karcher never should have been put into dire straits in the first place.

The Reds broke a 3-3 tie in the ninth, scoring a run in the ninth on Tyler Stephenson’s single, Will Benson’s walk on four pitches, a sacrifice bunt by Stuart Fairchild and pinch-hitter Kevin Newman’s sacrifice fly.

And the Reds were one out away from a 4-3 victory with two outs in the ninth. Kansas City catcher Salvador Perez was battered and beaten after getting hit by foul tips six times. He took his frustration out on the baseball by launching a game-tying home run.

The Reds took a 5-4 lead in the 10th without a hit and a call reversal. TJ Friedl was the free runner on second and he took third on a ground ball. With the infield drawn in, Jonathan India grounded to short and Friedl was called ojt on the throw home.

The Reds challenged the out call and won. . .Friedl was ruled safe.

There was ample evidence Monday why the Royals are on a direct route to 120 losses this season. They are 19-50.

They have blown leads 23 times this season, most in the majors. They had a 3-0 lead this night. On the flip side, the Reds have come-from-behind to win games 21 times, second most in the majors.

They were 1 for 14 with runners in scoring position and stranded 10.

Reds starter Luke Weaver was off his game and gave up three runs, five hits and four walks in 4 2/3 innings. Two of the walks came around to score as the Royals constructed a 3-0 lead.

He threw changeups twice to Massey and he pulled two doubles into the right field corner, the first one scoring two runs.

The Reds had to work their way back against veteran Zack Greinke, who was fooling them with an assortment of slow pitch softball pitches.

Stuart Fairchild homered leading off the third. The Reds tied it 3-3 in the sixth and chased Greinke. Luke Maile led the inning with a double and scored on Friedl’s double. Fridel scored on India’s single.

There was drama in the eighth inning. Former Reds closer Aroldis Chapman, still throwing 100 and 101 miles an hour, struck out the side, including Elly De La Cruz on a 3-and-2 called strike three.

De La Cruz was 0 for 4 with two strikeouts, but reached on a fielder’s choice in the and stole his fourth base in four tries.

Two Reds were thrown out at third base trying to stretch doubles into triples — Matt McLain in the first inning and Will Benson in the seventh inning.

The victory was the Reds eighth in 10 games with two more games scheduled Tuesday and Wednesday against the Royals. The Reds face Jordan Lyles Tuesday night, he of the 0-10 record.

 

By Hal McCoy
Contributing Writer

It was deja vu all over again Wednesday night for the Cincinnati Reds, a same script modus operandi to beat the shell-shocked Los Angeles Dodgers.

They Dodgers jumped to an early big lead. The Reds battled back. And they ended it with a two-run walk-off home run by Will Benson for an 8-6 win.

On Tuesday, the Reds fell behind, 8-3, in the fourth inning, crept by run-by-run until Matt McLain hit a walk-off single for an 9-8 win.

On Wednesday, the Reds fell behind, 6-2, in the third, tied it in the fourth and Benson unloaded his first career home run for the walk-off, the Reds 19th come from behind win this season.

Benson was originally batting eighth in the order, but when Jake Fraley was a late scratch, manager David Bell moved Benson into the leadoff spot, his first appearance there and the fifth different player to bat leadoff for the Reds this season.

And Elly De La Cruz. The muth grows, but it is no myth. His first time at bat in the first inning with his team down, 2-0, he nearly left the stadium. He drove a two-run home run into the last row of the right field bleachers, 458 feet (or 5,496 inches) that exploded from his bat at 115 miles an hour.

His next time up in third, he drilled one into right center and ran like a gazelle fleeing a cheetah for a triple. His speed was the fastest of any MLB player to sprint for a triple this year.

Benson struggled mightily early this season and was sent back to Class AAA Louisville for some refocusing. Since his return he hass been a force.

How has he turned it around?

“I got comfortable, you know what I mean? You have to be comfortable,” he told Bally Sports Ohion on the field just moment after he triumphantly toured the bases and put the gallon bubblegum container on his head.

“You have to trust what you’ve got and I got real surgical in my work pre-game and just trusted that,” he added.

After losing three straight to the Milwaukee Brewers, the Reds have won three straight while the Dodgers have lost four in a row and fallen into second place in the National League West.

Benson was asked if something special is happening with the Reds and he said, “Oh, 100 per cent. It’s nothing but everybody going out there wanting to get a ‘W.’ every single night.

“When we came off the Milwaukee series, when we took that last one (after losing the first three) we’ve just stayed together, just kept playing hard. We could be the best team in the NL right now.”

On Tuesday, the Dodgers scored three in the first and the Reds scored three in the first. On Wednesday, the Dodgers scored two in the first and the Reds scored two in the first.

Mookie Betts led the game with a home run off Brandon Williamson. Will Smith doubled and scored on Max Muncy’s single.

Matt McLain singled with one out in the second and stole second. That’s when De La Cruz came a couple of feet away from bouncing one into the Ohio River to tie it, 2-2.

It was a tough night for Williamson. In 5 2/3s innings he gave up six runs and eight hits, three of them home runs.

But Los Angeles starter Noah Syndergaard was no better, even worse. In three innings he gave up six runs and seven hits.

Miguel Vargas hit a homer run leading off the second and Smith cranked a two-run homer in the third and when the inning ended the Dodgers were up, 6-2.

The Reds drew even with a four-run outburst in the third that began with a triple by McClain and a sacrifice fly by Jonathan India. De La Cruz banged his triple and scored on Spencer Steer’s single.

Then the suddenly hot Tyler Stephenson drove a game-tying two-run home run into the right field seats and it was 6-6.

On Tuesday, after the Dodgers had eight run after four inning, Alex Young, Fernando Cruz, Ian Gibaut and Eduardo Salazar combined to hold the Dodgers to no runs and one hit over the last 3 1/3 innings

On Wednesday, after the Dodgers had six runs after three innings, Williamson, Buck Farmer, Lucas Sims and Alexis Diaz combined to hold the Dodgers to no runs and no hits over the final six innings.

Diaz arrived in the ninth to protect the tie and went 1-2-3 with two strikeouts.

Then Benson did his game-ending thing.

By Hal McCoy
Contributing Writer

The most highly-anticipated arrival of a prospect to join the Cincinnati Reds since Jay Bruce unfolded Tuesday night in Great American Ball Park.

Elly De La Cruz arrived with the pomp and circumstance of a newly-crowned monarch.

And manager David Bell not only threw him right into the fire, it was the Bonfire of the Vanities. He was placed in the clean-up spot to face the Los Angeles Dodgers, the first rookie to make his debut in the clean-up spot for the Reds in 82 since a guy named Frankie Kelleher in 1941.

And by the way, De La Cruz’s new teammates showed him the spunk and spark they possess with a walk-off win in the ninth-inning, 9-8.

It came via an incredible come-from-behind extravaganza. They were down, 8-3 after four innings via a grand slam home run by Freddie Freeman in the fourth.

But the Reds pecked away by scoring single runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh.

Still they trailed, 8-6 in the ninth and scored three runs on two hits, three walks and a hit batsman.

With the score tied, 8-8, and the bases loaded with one out, the other rising star, Matt McLain, lobbed a walk-off single to center field. Just three weeks ago, McLain and De La Cruz were teammates and best buddies at Class AAA Louisvillle.

Caleb Ferguson started the ninth for the Dodgers and gave up a full-count walk to Spencer Steer. Tyler Stephenson; rolled a ground ball single to right field.

Kevin Newman, playing with a split lower lip and swollen cheek after a foul ball glanced off the protective netting in front of the stands and hit him in the face in the second inning, popped out. It was the last out the Reds would make.

Stuart Fairchild walked on a full count to fill the bases. Ferguson walked Curt Casali, also on a full count, forcing in a run and it was 8-7. He then hit Jake Fraley with a pitch, forcing in another run and it was 8-8.

LA manager Dave Roberts brought in Shelby Miller to face McLain and he delivered the game-winner with his third single.

The Dodgers scored three runs in the top of the first against Reds starter Luke Weaver, but the Reds matched it with three in the bottom of the first against LA starter Tony Gonsolin.

Gonsolin had given up only one run in the first three innings of his seven starts, one run in 21 innings. But a two-run single by Stephenson plated the inning’s third run.

Manager David Bell brought in lefthander Alex Young to face the lefthanded Freeman with the bases loaded in the fourth inning. With Freeman, it doesn’t matter if the pitcher is lefthanded, righthanded or ambidextrous. He unloaded the bases for an 8-3 lead.

And that was it for the Dodgers. The Reds bullpen of Young, Fernando Cruz, Ian Gibaut and Eduardo Salazar held the Dodgers to no runs and one hit over the final 5 1/3 innings.

The 20-year-old De La Cruz performed admirably.

With the fans cheering his every twitch and flinch and chanting “Elly, Elly, Ellly” each time they caught a glimpse of him, De La Cruz drew two walks and drilled a double off the right field wall at 112 miles an hour, the hardest hit ball by a Reds player this season.

Obviously the Dodgers were aware of the reputation that preceded De La Cruz’s arrival. They pitched him with extreme caution and care.

He walked on a full count and scored a run in the first. His first major=league hit was the screaming double off the wallp in the third on an 0-and-2 count. He walked again in the third and the 22,602 in Great American Ball Park booed lustily.

With runners on third and first in the sixth, he ended the inning with a scorching ground ball to second base that left the bat at 109 miles an hour. He took a called strike in the eighth.

Home plate umpire Carlos Torres had a game-long problem with the strike zone for both teams. Bell had seen enough after a called strike on Stephenson in the fifth inning.

He protested vehemently and was demonstrative after he was ejected. Young also was ejected after the sixth inning, but he already had been removed by substitute manager Freddie Benavides.

By Hal McCoy
Contributing Writer

There was no late thunder from the Cincinnati Reds Sunday afternoon in Great American Ball Park.

In fact, there was no thunder at all, just a few sprinkles during a 5-1 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers.

Milwaukee starter Adrian Houser, who had zero success in seven previous starts in GABP, used a ground attack to keep Cincinnati’s bats quiet.

Using a sinker that dived like an Olympic diver, Houser gave the Reds the silent treatment by inducing 11 ground balls that gave him 13 outs. Two of the ground balls ended as double plays.

In his previous start, Houser was hammered by the Toronto Blue Jays for six runs and 11 hits in 4 1/3 innings.

The Reds had only seven hits, five singles, a double by rookie Matt McLain and a home run by Jake Fraley in the seventh inning when the Reds trailed, 5-0.

Houser, whose nickname, of course, is Doogy, pitched seven innings for the first time since 2021 when he pitched a complete game against the St. Louis Cardinals. The portly 6-foot-2, 242-pound right-hander, was a No. 2 pick by the Houston Astros in 2011 and is 26-30 for his career

The loss was Cincinnati’s fourth straight, three straight to Milwaukee, shoving the Reds six games behind the division-leading Brewers.

Walks and home runs led to the downfall of Reds starter Ben Lively and the Brewers scored all the runs they needed in the first inning.

LIvely issued four-pitch walks to Christian Yelich and Jon Singleton. With two outs, Andruw Montaserio drove his first major-league home run over the center field wall for a 3-0 Brewers lead. Montaserio was called up from the minors just two weeks ago.

It stayed 3-0 until the fifth when catcher Victor Caratini opened the inning by threatening the Ohio River with a 429-foot home run that landed near the top of the right field sun bleachers.

Number nine hitter Joey Weimer followed Caratini’s home run with a single and Yelich walked. Owen Miller lobbed a run-scoring single to center and it was 5-0.

One of Cincinnati’s strengths before the Milwaukee series was its production with runners in scoring position. Not so much lately. Duriing the three losses to the Brewers they were 5 for 34 with runners poised in scoring position.

They were 1 for 4 Sunday because Houser didn’t give them much opportunity. He retired nine of the first ten Reds, six on ground balls.

The real frustration for the Reds surface in the fourth and fifth innings. They put their first two runners on in the fourtrh on McLain’s double and Jonathan India’s infield hit. Fraley flied to left and Spencer Steer hit into a 5-4-3 double play.

Nick Senzel singled with one out in the fifth and Will Benson hit into a 4-6-3 double play.

From the sixth through the ninth, the Reds had two hits, a two-out single by McLain and Fraley’s home run in the seventh. Milwaukee’s bullpen retired the last six Reds in order.

McLain was the only Reds player with more thanm one hit, a single and a double. Rookie TJ Hopkins made his MLB starting debut, stationed in left field, and was 0 for 3 with two strikeouts.

Reds pitcher Hunter Greene will miss his turn with back stiffnes, so a raw rookie will make his major league debut Monday when the Reds and Brewers finish the four-game series

Class AA and Class AAA hitters call him anything but raw.

He is left-hander Andrew Abbott, the Reds No. 2 draft pick in 2021 out of the University of Virginia. He began the season at Class AA Chattanooga but wasn’t there long.

In three starts, he gave up one earned run in 15 2/3 innings (1.15 ERA) and struck out 36. He was quickly promoted to Class AAA Louisville and continued his dominance — 3-0 in seven starts with a 3.65 ERA and 54 strikeouts in 38 1/3 innings.

By Hal McCoy
Contributing Writer

What was once recently the Cincinnati Reds speeding toward the top of the National League Central standings has been thrown into reverse.

The Milwaukee Brewers reached double digits in runs by the fourth inning Saturday in Great American Ball Park en route to a 10-8 narrow escape

Down 9-1 in the third innin and 10-3 in the fourth, the Reds displayed the fire and scrapiness they’ve shown all season.

They chip, chip, chipped away until they scrambled back to within 10-8 with one out in the ninth inning with the bases loaded. . .one solid hit away from tying it.

But Milwaukee closer Devin Williams struck out Kevin Newman and Matt McLain on a pitch in the dirt to end it.

Not even nine stolen bases, one shy of the club record, could assist the Reds in retrieving what seemed like an early lost cause.

After winning five straight to draw within three games of the division-leading Brewers, the Reds have lost three straight and toppled five games behind.

The much-struggling Ashcraft acted as if the pitching mound was a foreign country he had never visited. He faced 25 Brewers and 10 scored.

Most of his pitches had catcher Curt Casali diving left and right or excavating pitches out of the dirt. And when he did find the strike zone, the light-hitting Brewers put the ball in play with bullet velocity.

The Brewers came into the game occupying the bottom portion of most offensive stastical categories — runs scored, batting average, on-base percentage.

But they unloaded on Ashcraft, whose earned run average rose like an on-field thermometer, which read 91 degrees when the game began, from 5.55 before the game to 6.64.

It was obvlous from the start that things are still amiss with Ashcraft. He went to 3-and-2 on the first three batters in the first inning. He walked leadoff hitter Christian Yelich on a full count. Yelich stole second and scored on a full-count single by Rowdy Tellez.

The Reds drew even in the bottom of the first on a walk to Matt McLain and his stolen base, a single by Jake Fraley and a run-producing infield single by Spencer Steer.

It all came unraveled on Ashcraft in the second and third like a cat playing with a ball of string.

The Brewers scored three in the second, with the bottom three batters in the order scoring the three runs. They reached on two singles and a walk. Number nine hitter Blake Perkins produced his first MLB RBI with a single. Christian Yelich singled home a run and the third scored on a fielder’s choice.

Ashcraft’s day reache a 10 on the ugly meter in the third, a five-spot hlghlighted by a grand slam by Perkins, his first MLB home run that put the Brewers up 9-1.

Whether it was a vote of confidence or he didn’t want to destroy his bullpen, manager David Bell sent Ashcraft back out for the fourth. He gave up a solo home run to Willson Contreras.

The final line on Ashcraft: Four innings, 10 runs, nine hits, four walks, one strikeout.

The Reds, though, did not quit. . .they never seem to quit.

They scored two in the third on McClain’s triple and Fraley’s home run, cutting Milwaukee’s lead to 10-3.

Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell removed starter Colin Rea after six innings and his replacement, Trevor Megill, did a Graham Ashcraft imitation.

The Reds scored three runs on one hit. Megill loaded the bases by giving the bottom three of Cincinnati’s order free passage to first base. He walked Stuart Fairchild and Will Benson, then hit Casali with a pitch.

Newman hit a sacrifice fly. Jonathan India had the inning’s only hit, a two-run single and the Reds were within four at 10-6.

While the Reds were trying tg stage a miraculous comeback, relief pitcherf Eduardo Salazar put a muzzle on Milwaukee’s bats. He produced three strong scoreless innings on one hit with no walks and a strikeout.

The Reds put two runners on with two outs in the eighth on singles by Newman and McLain, but India popped out.

The Brewers started Jake Cousins in the ninth inning, leading, 10-6.

He opened the inning by walking Fraley on four pitches and wild pitched him to second. Steer singled, scoring Fraley. When Nick Senzel singled, Counsell brought in Williams, one of baseball’s best closers.

He quickly struck out pinch-hitter Tyler Stephenson. He walked Will Benson on a full count, filling the bases.
Bell sent up pinch-hitter T.J. Hopkins, called up from Louisville just before the game. He was making his first MLB appeance and coaxed a full-count walk from Williams, forcing in run to make it 10-8.

Williams stopped the gusher with his strikeouts of Newman and McClain.

Fraley was on base four times with two singles, a homer and a walk and stole three bases. McLain had two hits and scored three runs and Steer had two hits and two RBI.

But the wide early deficit was a mountain too high.

By Hal McCoy
Contributing Writer

The first of the four-stage Battle For First Place in the National League Central was a long and frustrating afternoon for the Cincinnati Reds.

The first-place Milwaukee Brewers outlasted the Reds Friday afternoon/evening, 5-4 in 11 arduous innings in front of 44,307 Great American Ball Par, an all-time record crowd.

Many came to see the post-game Zac Brown Band concert, but they had to wait through a strange string of events.

That the Reds extended the game to 11 innings was a major accomplishment From the third inning until there were two outs in the 11th, the Reds didn’t have a hit. And they finished with three.

Their first two hits, and only hits until the 11th, came in the third on back-to-back hits by Jonathan India, a two-run homer after walk and a single by Jake Fraley.

Then nothing.

Reds relief pitcher Fernando Cruz worked out of a 10th-inning jam, arriving out of the bullpen with the bases filled with Brewers and two outs. He retired Brian Anderson on a pop up to the catcher.

Then he worked himself into a jam in the 11th. With ghost runner Anderson on second, Cruz gave up a swingle to Andruw Monasterio, moving Andserson to third.

He walked Joey Wiemer to fill the bases. The Reds then failed to turn double plays, first on a ground ball to first and the second on a ground ball to Cruz. A run scored on each play and it was 5-3.

Tyler Stephenson was Cincinnati’s ghost runner in the 11th, but Nick Senzel lined to right on a full count and Stuart Fairchild grounded to short.

With the Reds down two and down to their final out, Curt Casali raised hope by doubling home Stephenson and Casali was the potential tying run. But Spencer Steer grounded to short and the Reds fell four games behind the Brewers. With three games left in the series, the Reds can’t catch them.

While five Milwaukee relief pitchers held the Reds to one run and one hit over five innings, Cincinnati’s bullpen was up to the challenge, too.

Starter Brandon Williamson held the Brew Crew to three runs and five hits over 6 2/3 innings, Buck Farmer, Lucas Sims and Alex Young held Milwaukee to no runs and one hit until Cruz was unable to finish it.

The game began with some bizarre incidents.

—It was announced that a balk was called on Williams with a runner on first in the second inning. It was later revealed that umpire D.J. Reyburn caught catcher Luke Maile picking up the baseball with his mask, an illegal move with the ball in play. Weimer then hit a two-run home run to give the Brewers a 2-0 lead.

—The Reds took a 1-0 lead in the second inning without a hit — a walk to Fraley, who stole second, moved to third on a Stephenson ground out to second and scored on Senzel’s ground out to second.

—Milwaukee first baseman Darrin Ruf chased a pop fly in the third inning and crashed into the rolled up tarpaulin. He cut his knee and had to leave the game.

—The Reds led, 3-2, in the third inning and owned only one hit off Milwaukee starter Corbin Burnes — the two-run home run by India.

—The Brewers tied it, 3-3, in the third after the Reds failed to turn an inning-ending double play. With one out and runners on secon and first, Andruw Monasterio grounded to shortstop. Matt McLain threw high, wide and ugly past second baseman India, an error A run then scored on a ground ball to Kevin Newman, playing his first game ever at first base.

—In the fifth inning, third baseman Senzel stopped a hard ground ball by William Contreras and Senzel threw him out at first from his knees. That’s not the first time Senzel threw a runner out from his knees as he continues to play third base as though he took lessons from Brooks Robinson and Nolan Arenado.

—Burnes, upset most of the game with umpire Reyburn’s strike zone, was ejected after the sixth inning for expessing his opinion in an unacceptable manner. It really didn ’t matter. Burnes was coming out of the game after throwing 100 pitches.

Williamson bounced a ball in the dirt with one out in the seventh and it bounced and then hit batter Mike Brosseau, by rule a hit by pitch. Pinch-runner Brice Tarang stole second and Farmer came on to retire Owen Miller, leaving the tying run at second.

Milwaukee relief pitcher Peter Strzelecki hit India with a pitch to open the eight, putting the potential tying run on base, but Fraley and Stephenson struck out and Senzel popped out to leave it 3-3.

Manager David Bell brought in closer Alexis Diaz in the eighth to protect the 3-3 tie. He walked the first batter, Monasterio, then retired the next two on pop-ups. Monasterio stole second but Tarang popped out.

Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell put his closer, Devin Williams, on the mound for the bottom of the ninth. Will Benson reached first on third baseman Miller’s error. Benson stole second, his second theft and the Reds had six for the game.

But pinch-hitter Steer, National League Rookie of the Month for May, popped up and Newman grounded out, sending the game into extra innings.

And it didn’t end well for the Reds.

By Hal McCoy
Contributing Writer

The Cincinnati Reds’ five-game winning streak came to a crashing conclusion Thursday night in Fenway Park, an 8-2 crusher from the Boston Red Sox.

The Red Sox broke a 2-2 tie in the eighth inning with six runs against relief pitcher Kevin Herget.

When the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers lost Thursday afternoon in Toronto, the Reds were afforded the opportunity to scramble within two games of the first place Brewers.

It was not to be.

Another outstanding performamce by Hunter Greene was tossed into the waste basket. He pitched six innings and gave up one tainted run on two hits with eight strikeouts, but was pulled after throwing 109 pitches.

The Reds trailed, 2-1, entering the eighth inning but tierd it. Kevin Newman led the inning with a double, took third on a wild pitch and scored on Matt McLain’s single, extending his hitting streak to 10 games.

Herget’s number was called for the bottom of the eighth and it came up zero.

He walked Alex Verdugo on a full count to start his downfall. Rafael Devers doubled high off the Green Monster in deep center field, pushing the Red Sox ahead, 3-2.

And it kept getting worse.

Justin Turner singled Devers to third and he was caught in a rundown on Masataka Yoshida’s grounder, but runners were on third and second with one out. Jarren Duran was walked intentionally, filling the bases.

Herget balked a run home to make it 4-2 and Kike Hernandez singled home two more. The carnage ended after Connor Wong dropped a two-run home run into the front row seats atop the Green Monster in left field.

The Reds caught a break, they thought, in the fourth inning when Boston starter Chris Sale had to leave with a stiff left shoulder. He came into the game 5-2 and had won his last four decisions.

He struck out the side in the first and had four straight strtikeouts with one out in the third

As happens so often to Greene, the baseball gremlins got hlm. He struck out the side in the first, two more in the second and two more in the third.

Then he suddenly lost it, most likely due to his shoulder. Chris Casali doubled and scored on Newman’s double, one of his three hits.

After Sale left, five Boston relief pitchers held the Reds to one run and two hits over the final 5 1/3 innings. The Reds finished with seven hits, four of them doubles.

After pitching six no-hit innings in his previous start in Chicago, he extended his hitless streak to nine.

But in the fourth, Devers lifted a high, lazy fly ball to center. Jose Barrero couldn’t find it, losing the ball in the gray clouds of dusk. It fell for a double. Justin Turner followed with a run-scoring single, the only two hits off Greene.

The baseball gremlins hit the Reds in the fourth when Spencer Speer and Tyler Stephenson opened with back-to-back doubles. But Speer didn’t score on Stephenson’s double. He had to stay close to second but it looked as if Boston center fielder Duran might catch Stephenson’s ball.

He didn’t catch it and the ball was retrieved quickly and Steer only made third. But that put runners on third and second with no outs.

Stuart Fairchild flied to right. Steer tagged on bolted for home, but Devers threw him out. The Reds challenged that catcher Wong illegally blocked home plate and challenged the out call.

The Reds lost both challenges after Nick Senzel walked to put two men on,Barrero popped out.

The Red Sox, winning for only the third time in 10 games, collected eight hits.

While remaining three games behind Milwaukee, the Reds lost a half game to second place Pittsburgh because the Pirates were idle. The Reds trail the second place Pirates by 2 1/2 games.

After a 5-and-1 trip, the Reds begin a seven-game homestand Frfiday, beginning with four against Milwaukee and three against the Los Angeles Dodgers.