Cincinnati Reds Haunted Nightmare In Philly Continues…
By Jesse Mapati
We all Reds fans know the nightmares that looms for this team when they play a series in Philadelphia. Lets go back to the no hitter in game 1 of the playoffs in 2010 NLDS by Roy Haliday. The “Jay Bruce lost in the lights play” play in game 2. To blowing a 6 run lead in the eighth inning and losing in walk off style in 2009. This one this afternoon stings hard, one inning away from winning a rare series in Philly turn into a complete meltdown with back to back home runs to ruin it.
Phillies hit back to back homers off of Closer Aroldis Chapman whose not been himself in this road trip as the Reds fall in heartbreak fashion 3-2 on Sunday afternoon in the rubber match and the season series finale between the two teams.
The nightmare for Chapman began as he walked pinch hitter Delmon Young on 4 pitches to get it going. In questionable decision Phillies manager Charlie Manuel decided to bring Cliff Lee to pinch run for Young as Eric Kratz step up to bat. Chapman pick off throw to first got Lee in a rundown before he was tagged out.
And go figure on a 3-2 pitch Kratz crushed a fastball to left field to tie the ball game at 2. Then Freddy Galuis whoever that is on a 1-1 pitch hit a shot to left just inside the left field foul pole for a walk off home run for the Phillies.
Crushing loss because Homer Bailey the starter today pitched a wale of a game with not having the best stuff. Reason is because he pitched a complete game six hitter allowed two runs and striking out 10 and throwing 125 pitches in a Reds 6-2 win on Tuesday against the Miami Marlins. Today he went 7 scoreless innings with five hits allowed, one walk and three strikeouts.
Reds scored first in the top of the second inning as Jay Bruce continues to tee the ball of this month as he crushed a pitch to deep center field for a home run his 5th of the year to make it 1-0 at the time. Bruce now has a 10 game hitting streak.
In the sixth inning, Joey Votto hit a leadoff single to center. Bruce flied out to left, Phillies left fielder Dominic Brown made a nice sliding grab but threw a bad ball to first to try to double up Votto but instead went to second on the errant throw. Todd Frazier hit a double to right scoring Votto to make it 2-0.
With Bailey done after seven innings they turned to Johnathan Broxton. With two outs, he allowed a infield single, then walked Michael Young which was proved costly. Chase Utley stepped in singled to center scoring Revere to cut the lead to 2-1 at that point and we all know what happened in the bottom of ninth.
With the loss Reds are now 4-2 in their 3 cities nine game road trip and will head t0 New York to take on the Mets as they will begin a 3 game series with Mets starting tomorrow night as Johnny Cueto will make his first start since being placed on the disabled list a month ago. First pitch from New York is at 7:10pm.