Anthony DeSclafani knocked around, Reds lose to Cardinals 6-4

A tough loss wraps the season’s first half.

The Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

Jose Peraza wrapped the first ‘half’ of the 2018 season completely on fire. After picking up 5 singles on Saturday night, he added another 3 to his ledger for the Cincinnati Reds against the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday, as the leadoff hitter on the day posted a 3 for 4, ribbie, run scored afternoon.

He raised his season batting average all the way up to .293, which is quite the danged nice revelation given how he started the season in such a slump.

Honorable Mentions are due to: Joey Votto, who singled, walked, and scored; Adam Duvall, who smacked a 2-run single and also walked; and the bullpen trio of Jared Hughes, David Hernandez, and Raisel Iglesias, each of whom fired scoreless innings (again), respectively.

Key Plays

• Matt Carpenter has made a habit of bonking leadoff dingers. That was the case again on Sunday, as he led off the Bottom of the 1st with a solo blast off Anthony DeSclafani to put the Reds behind early, 1-0.
• Dexter Fowler got in on the solo dinger action today, too, leading off the Bottom of the 2nd with one of his own, which left the Reds behind, 2-0.
• The Reds surged back in front with a rally off Miles Mikolas in the Top of the 4th, however. Votto led off with a double into right-center, Eugenio Suarez walked behind him, and Jesse Winker then laced a hard-liner for a single that loaded the bases. After Tucker Barnhart struck out, Duvall poked a 2-run single into LF to equalize, and Winker later scored on an infield single by Peraza. That left the Reds ahead, 3-2.
• Unfortunately, things unraveled quickly for Disco in the Bottom of the 4th. A single, a walk, and a hit batter loaded the bags, and Tommy Pham then plated a pair on a single into CF. Billy Hamilton’s errant throw allowed the runners to move up to 2B and 3B, and both runs later scored as inherited runners as Sal Romano took over for Disco. Reds trailed, 6-3.
• Cincinnati scored a run off Jordan Hicks in the Top of the 9th after Peraza singled, took 2B on defensive indifference, and trotted home on Scooter Gennett’s single into CF, but that was all the offense could muster. Reds lost, 6-4.

Tony Graphanino

Other Notes

• Disco’s final line: 3.1 IP, 5 H, 6 ER, BB, 3 K on 57 pitches.
• Sal Romano fired 1.2 innings of relief thanks to the good ol’ All Star break coming up.
• Tyler Mahle will get the first start for the Reds when they resume play on Friday against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Great American Ball Park. Jameson Taillon is scheduled to start for the Bucs in the series opener, with first pitch set for 7:10 PM ET.
• Speaking of the All Star break, the MLB Futures game is being played at the moment with some of the best prospects in all of baseball taking part, and Cincinnati farmhand Taylor Trammell just busted a big ol’ dinger for Team USA. Nice!
• Tunes.