Nick Martinez, Reds can’t hold 7-run lead vs. Brewers who win 13th straight
Cincinnati Reds starter Nick Martinez had an 8-1 lead in the second but “lost focus” and couldn’t get out of the third in a 10-8 loss to the Brewers.
Reds jump to 8-1 lead, quit hitting and fall to Brewers who win 13th straight gameGiven seven-run lead, starter Nick Martinez lasted only 2 2/3 innings.Reds started night with chance to grab the third wild-card spot.
Even in the face of a seven-run deficit, the Milwaukee Brewers were relentless and remained the hottest team in baseball.
The Cincinnati Reds put up seven runs on the Brewers in the second inning on Aug. 15 to open up an 8-1 lead at Great American Ball Park. Ascending to one of the National League wild card spots was within reach for the Reds at that point, but the Brewers came all the way back to win, 10-8. The Milwaukee victory in front of 25,470 was their 13th consecutive win.
“You kind of know, the way they’re going right now, they’re gonna keep playing,” Reds manager Terry Francona said.
Milwaukee’s Christian Yelich went 4-for-5 with two solo home runs. He drove in five runs and his solo shot in the sixth inning put the Brewers ahead for good. Milwaukee logged 17 hits in the game, had the 8-1 deficit cut to 8-6 by the middle of the third inning, and tied the game in the fourth.
“Him being Christian Yelich, when he’s hot, he’s gonna be real hot,” Reds reliever Scott Barlow said.
Meanwhile, after sending 12 batters to the plate in the second inning and collecting nine hits through two frames, the Reds saw 23 consecutive batters retired to end the game. Consequently, Cincinnati was blanked over the final seven innings.
Cincinnati starter Nick Martinez lasted just two and 2/3 innings. Martinez allowed six runs (five earned) on nine hits. Barlow allowed the eventual game-winning homer by Yelich.
“I completely lost my focus there,” Martinez said. “Just let the unfortunate things, the soft hits, get to me. I started leaving the ball over the plate and lost the focus of just executing, taking it one pitch at a time regardless of any outcome. A team like that, you can’t let them back in the ball game.”
To make the Reds’ loss more agonizing, the New York Mets lost to the Seattle Mariners at Citi Field. Had Cincinnati won, it would have climbed into the No. 3 National League wild card spot with 39 games to play.
Cincinnati will remain just a half-game back of the Mets after their 11-9 loss to the Mariners, but an opportunity was missed.
“It’s fun to be playing meaningful games and playing against the best teams to get to the playoffs is what you want,” Martinez said. “We’ve put ourselves in that position. Tonight’s a missed opportunity but we can’t let it define it.”
Cincinnati’s second inning vs. Brewers
The Reds had everything working for them early in the game. They took a 1-0 lead in the first inning and went on an offensive rampage in the second after Milwaukee tied the game at one on Yelich’s first homer of the night.
In order, this is how Cincinnati batters fared in the second inning: Strikeout, hit by pitch, walk, walk, walk, double, single, single, single, single, fielder’s choice (out), fielder’s choice (out).
Seven Reds − T.J. Friedl, Spencer Steer, Elly De La Cruz (two), Miguel Andujar, Gavin Lux, Austin Hays and Noelvi Marte − all notched RBIs. The other two batters, Tyler Stephenson and Ke’Bryan Hayes, both scored a run in the inning.
In other words, the Reds dominated Brewers starter Jacob Misiorowski (one and 1/3 innings, five runs allowed) and reliever D.L. Hall, and the entire Cincinnati lineup was in on it.
“I thought we did a great job earlier on, especially against a pretty good pitcher, too,” Barlow said. “We all know the fight Milwaukee has, though. No matter how many runs you put up, you know they’re going to fight back. I think our approach was really, really good. We know what Milwaukee’s capable of and it’s just staying with your plan of attack.”
That plan unraveled, though. Brewers relievers had a lot to do with that.
The Brewers mounted their comeback immediately
Milwaukee had already pushed one run across in the third inning for 8-2 when Andrew Vaughn connected on a three-run homer to center field. At 8-5, there was a sense the game was still hanging in the balance.
The Reds’ defense partly undid their cause. Hays, Lux and Friedl all committed fielding errors and then defense failed to turn another potential double play. All three miscues led to a Brewers’ run.
Another big factor was Milwaukee’s bullpen, which didn’t allow another hit after Reds hitters started the game 9-for-12.
Trevor Megill closed out the Reds by striking out TJ Friedl, Spencer Steer and Elly De La Cruz. The save was Megill’s 29th.
Nick Mears earned the win for the Brewers. He was the second of five Brewers relievers to post a scoreless inning after Hall settled down and retired the Reds in order in the third.