It was also his first big-league hit in five years and two days.
Advertisement
“It is an honor to be mentioned in the same sentence as Ken”, Bruce said. He’s a friend of mine.
Honorable Mentions are due to: Robert Stephenson, who tossed 5 largely effective innings in his first career big league start; Eugenio Suarez, who blasted a grand slam; Tucker Barnhart, who went 3 for 3 with a walk and a pair of runs scored; Joey Votto, who singled, walked, and scored twice; and Scott Schebler, who singled, doubled, scored a run, walked, and drove one in.
“It was unbelievable to watch”, said Stephenson, rated by several publications as Cincinnati’s No. 1 prospect and one of the top 35 in all of baseball.
Stephenson (1-0), a first-round draft pick in 2011, was called up from Triple-A Louisville on opening day to fill a temporary hole in Cincinnati’s injury-depleted rotation.
Morton walked two, struck out three, and allowed a home run. We’ve got a nice offensive ball club. “I expect to be that, plus more this year”.
Cedric Hunter hit a leadoff homer in the fourth and Ryan Howard had a two-run shot in the fifth for Philadelphia.
In each of the first two games, Billy Hamilton made highlight-reel worthy, diving catches to rob Hunter of hits. While Philly have some good young bats in their line up and Mikel Frainco flashed glimpses of his power with a two run home on Wednesday night I think that the balance in the side is just not there at the moment and this is something that is simply going to take time for the Philly’s to develop. Philadelphia ranks 13th with two home runs. Reds trailed, 1-0 on the error. Their last season-opening win in Cincinnati occurred on April 9, 1962, at Crosley Field.
The Phillies are 0-3 for the first time since 2007. Schebler’s two-run double to the same vicinity in the ninth inning Wednesday night gave the Reds a 3-2 come-from-behind win.
For the second time in as many games, the Reds faced at late 2-1 deficit at the hands of the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Reds jumped right back on the gas pedal after allowing that run, thanks in large part to Jay Bruce hitting the proverbial snot out of the ball. Morton is winless in six April starts since 2012.
“I’ll be fine, I’ll be good”, Franco said. I was struggling out of the stretch. “I had a lot of adrenaline running through my body so I didn’t really feel it”. “Then it’s just get back to pitching as opposed to having all of all that other stuff floating through their heads”. Got into a deep count with Bruce and I threw a changeup right down the middle. He threw 16 pitches, just five of which were strikes. Morton is 6-7 against Cincinnati. Suarez, batting off of reliever Daniel Stumpf, hit his second home run in as many games to push the Reds’ lead to 8-2.
The Reds have won six straight and eight of the last 10 meetings.
Finnegan struggled at the end of spring training.
Reds: RHP Michael Lorenzen’s comeback from elbow problems that sent him to the disabled list was sidetracked by a bout with mononucleosis, Price said.
Advertisement
Mackanin wasn’t concerned about the lack of continuity even as the Phillies prepare to face perhaps the National League’s best starting rotation during a three-game series against the Mets in NY.
