Returning home to Great American Ball Park on Friday for the first of a three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals did little to wake up Cincinnati’s bats, but they were able to squeeze out just enough offense for a come-from-behind 3-2 win.
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Seung Hwan Oh (4-3) walked Zack Cozart on four pitches to open the ninth, and Brandon Phillips followed with a single.
The Reds had loaded the bases in the seventh and eighth and failed to score.
Cincinnati Reds’ Billy Hamilton, left, is out in a rundown between third and home as St. Louis Cardinals’ Jedd Gyorko, middle, and Yadier Molina defend during the first inning of a baseball game, Friday, Sept. 2, 2016, in Cincinnati. The 26-year-old hopes that momentum carries into his start versus St. Louis, against which he was taken deep twice and allowed three runs in five innings of a 3-2 loss on August 10.
The Reds tied the game in the sixth off Alex Reyes, who was making his second straight start. But rookie Matt Bowman, becoming a go-to man with the bases loaded lately, kept the score tied at 2-2 by retiring Brandon Phillips on a popup and Duvall on a fly to right. Reyes limited the damage to just one run, which is the only blemish in his six appearances (14 innings) with Cardinals this season. Cincinnati starter Anthony DeSclafani had similar numbers, giving up six hits and two earned over seven innings. Raisel Iglesias (1-1) gave up a walk in the ninth. Reliever Trevor Rosenthal, who hasn’t pitched since late July, also is expected to be in Pittsburgh to begin some pitching off the mound in the bullpen, manager Mike Matheny said on Friday night. He played five games in a rehab stint at Triple-A Memphis, going 3 for 16 with a homer.
“I made good pitches”, Reyes said.
The Reds wore their special camouflage jerseys as part of a night honoring the military.
NOTES: St. Louis reinstated 1B Matt Adams from the disabled list after he missed 19 games with right shoulder inflammation. In 95 games with the Cardinals, Adams is batting.249 with 12 homers and 44 runs batted in but has been productive as a pinch hitter with a.385 average and two homers on 10 for 26.
Reds center fielder Billy Hamilton went 2-for-4 with a walk and three stolen bases, tying his career-high of 57.
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And, though Hamilton stole twice in the first three innings, Reyes froze him with a 77 mile an hour slow curve to end the fifth for his sixth strikeout. He was batting.353 with runners in scoring position fifth in the NL when he went on the disabled list.
