Reds defeat Rockies 6-5 in 12 innings

Maybe the Reds should play all their games in extra innings.

The Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

Nick Castellanos has spent the early part of the 2021 season swaggering about and tearing the cover off the baseball. He reached base 4 times tonight, going 3 for 5 and coming up with two pretty damn important hits in the process. He socked his team-leading 10th dinger of the season in the top of the third to tie the game, and then smacked a RBI double in the top of the 12th. Have a trophy there, Nick.

Honorable mentions are due to: Tyler Mahle, who threw 7 solid innings, allowing only 2 runs on 7 hits with no walks and 4 strikeouts; Kyle Farmer, who also went 3 for 5 on the night and hit a 2-run tank in the 11th; and Tejay Antone, who threw another couple of shutout innings while striking out 3.

Key Plays

• Once again, it did not take long for the Reds to get behind tonight. Raimel Tapia led off the bottom of the first with a double that deflected off Kyle Farmer. After a couple quick outs, Ryan McMahon took a 1-2 pitch from Tyler Mahle deep to right center field to give the Rockies a 2-0 lead.
• The Reds were able to get themselves on the board in the top of the 3rd. Tyler Mahle got things started by working a fantastic at-bat for a walk. That would end up haunting, because Nick Castellanos would come up next and rip a line drive over the wall in left to tie the game at 2-2.
• Neither offense could do much despite their opportunities, but thankfully extra innings gave us plenty of fireworks. Eugenio Suarez had the honor of being the ghost runner to start the top of the 11th and, after a Tucker Barnhart strikeout, got to complete his journey home when Kyle Farmer destroyed a pitch and sent it over the wall in left to give the Reds a 4-2 lead.
• Unfortunately, that lead would not hold. Raimel Tapia started the bottom of the 11th on second. After a Trevor Story line out and a Ryan McMahon walk, Josh Fuentes smacked a double to center to score both and tie the game at 4-4.
• Jesse Winker started the 12th on second and was sent home on the 2nd pitch of the inning on a Nick Castellanos double. After Nick Senzel pinch hit and bonked a single to advance Castellanos to third, Eugenio Suarez productively grounded out to score Castellanos. Unfortunately, Nick Senzel was doubled off on a Tucker Barnhart lineout to end the inning, but not before the Reds would take a 6-4 lead.
• The Rockies got one back in the bottom of the 12th, but that was all the Reds would allow and came away victorious, 6-5.

Tony Graphanino

Other Notes

• Tyler Mahle had an impressive showing tonight, but his 7th inning was probably the most impressive of the night. He allowed a lead off triple to Garrett Sampson, but retired Elias Diaz, Charlie Blackmon, and Raimel Tapia in order to keep the game tied. Not to mention, his 7 innings pitched tied a career high as well. Well done tonight, Mr Mahle.
• The Reds are now 7-2 in extra inning games this season.
• This was fun:

• The Reds will try and salvage this series and come away with a split on Sunday. Jeff Hoffman (2-3, 4.70 ERA) will start for the Reds against Antonio Senzatela (1-4, 5.97 ERA). First pitch is at 3:10 PM EDT.
• Tunes.