KSReds: Cincinnati Reds Narrowly Miss Sweep in Washington

The Cincinnati Reds won two out of three series on their east coast road trip. However, due to a four-game sweep in Philadelphia, they finished just 4-6 overall. Cincinnati came up just a bit short of finishing .500 due to a fifth inning home run on Sunday by Ildemaro Vargas that gave the Washington Nationals a 3-2 lead. Nick Lodolo was excellent on the mound but the offense couldn’t overcome the one run deficit. The Reds are now 50-76 on the season.

After the 10-day, 10-game road trip, the Reds will return to Great American Ball Park for a week-long homestand. On Monday evening the St. Louis Cardinals come to town to begin a three-game series. Chase Anderson is scheduled to make the start on Monday night with a 6:40 p.m. EST first pitch. Justin Dunn and Mike Minor are also set to start against the National League Central rival Cardinals. Thursday will give the Reds a day off before welcoming the Colorado Rockies to Cincinnati for a three-game weekend series.

Donovan Solano, Aristides Aquino Lead Reds to Series Opening Win

The Washington Nationals sent prospect Cade Cavali to the mound for his Major League debut on Friday night. However, it did not go well for the 24-year-old. The Cincinnati Reds put two runs on the board immediately in the first inning and went on to put up seven in four and one-third innings off of Cavali. Jonathan India scored on a throwing error in the first and then T.J. Friedl drove in Donovan Solano with a double into the right-centerfield gap. Solano would plate two more with a double of his own in the third to make it 4-0. Then, Aristides Aquino sent the opposing rookie to the showers with a bases-clearing, three-run double into the left centerfield gap in the fifth.

On the mound, Mike Minor turned in possibly his best start of the season. That has been a pretty low bar, but on Friday night the veteran left-hander went seven innings allowing just two runs on six hits while striking out seven. He is now 3-10 on the season with a 6.10 earned run average. Hunter Strickland allowed one run to score in the eighth inning, but Buck Farmer closed it down in the ninth to give the Reds a 7-3 win.

Long Ball Helps Lift the Reds to Victory

Batting in the three-hole, Kyle Farmer sent one 407 feet into the left centerfield bleachers to spot the Cincinnati Reds a 1-0 first inning lead in Washington on Saturday night. T.J. Friedl supplied a little more breathing room in the sixth inning with a three-run shot that made it 4-1. Then, just two batters later, Colin Moran parked one over the centerfield wall to make it 5-1. Jonathan India added an insurance run via a RBI double in the top of the ninth, but the three long balls proved to be all the Reds would need for victory on Saturday.

Luis Cessa started the “bullpen game” and tossed four innings allowing just one run on four hits. Ian Gibaut picked up the win by pitching the fifth and six innings without allowing a hit. Then, Joel Kuhnel and Buck Farmer bridged the gap well enough to reach Alexis Diaz in a save situation. Diaz recorded the final four outs of the game to earn his sixth save of the season. The Reds came away with a 6-2 victory and secured a series win over the Nationals in Washington.

Nationals Avoid Sweep Despite Strong Pitching Performance by Nick Lodolo

Nick Lodolo turned in yet another strong pitching performance on Sunday afternoon as the Cincinnati Reds sought a three-game weekend sweep in Washington. The rookie left-hander allowed three runs on five hits across seven innings of work and struck out five batters. However, the offense went completely cold after two early runs to let his performance go to waste. Lodolo is now 3-5 in his first big league season with a 4.30 earned run average.

Kyle Farmer got the Reds on the board in the top of the first inning with a RBI groundout that scored Jonathan India. Then, Stuart Fairchild connected on a solo home run in the second to make it a 2-0 gave in Cincinnati’s favor. From that point on though, the Reds managed just two more hits and no runs which allowed the Nationals to come from behind and avoid the series sweep with a 3-2 victory.