The Cincinnati Reds visit Yankee Stadium to take on the New York Yankees. Graham Ashcraft looks to prove he can still be a contributing member of this Reds starting rotation. Luis Gil is the starter for the Yankees in game 1. Gil has struggled as of late, he has a 10.97 ERA in last 3 starts.
Game 1:
Tyler Stephenson makes his return to the Reds line up. Stephenson, just recently became a father and was just removed from the paternity list. Both teams would pitch well to start the game, both being held scoreless, until the top of the 4th. Elly De La Cruz loves the bright lights and he would deliver. He would rip a triple down the right field line, Soto would get a good read on the ball and get it in quickly, but Elly’s speed was too much.
Jeimer Candelario would follow with a routine grounder to 2nd base, scoring Elly and giving the Reds a 1-0 lead. Ashcraft would throw another scoreless inning leading to the top of the 5th inning. Will Benson would launch a two run home run to straight away center field, scoring Stuart Fairchild as well and giving Cincinnati a 3-0 lead.
Caleb Ferguson would replace Luis Gil in the 5th after hitting Jonathan India. Elly De La Cruz would greet Ferguson with a two run home run. Elly has shown quite an improvement batting from the right side. Elly joins Ted Williams as the only two players with 5 games with a triple and a home run in the same game through their first 185 games since 1901. Reds now lead 5-0.
Ashcraft would get into some trouble in the 6th. The first two runners would reach, Glaybor Torres would follow with an RBI double. Nick Martinez would replace Ashcraft. Martinez would face Ben Rice and Rice would hit a 2 RBI double, cutting the lead to 5-3. In the 7th, Sam Moll would allow a solo home run to Aaron Judge(32) cutting the Reds lead down to 1. Alexis Diaz would end the Yankees hope of a comeback with a 9 pitch save in the 9th, giving the Reds the win 5-4.
The Reds have now won 11 out their last 13 first games of a series but haven’t been able to capitalize on the momentum, can that change with this series against the Yankees?
Ashcraft was solid in this one. His final line for Tuesday night is 5 innings, 4 hits, 2 walks and those 3 earned runs in the 6th inning.
BOX SCORE STANDOUTS:
Elly De La Cruz: 2-5 HR(15) 2RBI, 3B
Will Benson: 1-4 HR(9) 2RBI
Alexis Diaz: 1IP, K, 0BB 9 pitches SV(18)
Winning Pitcher: Graham Ashcraft (5-4)
Losing Pitcher: Luis Gil (9-4)
Save: Alexis Diaz(18)
The Reds look to take advance of some struggling Yankee starters in this series and capitalize on their momentum after splitting the Cardinals series on the road and winning game one tonight.
Wednesday Starters:
Andrew Abbott
Carlos Rodón
Game 2:
Wednesday’s game sees Andrew Abbott taking on Carlos Rodón. Rodón has given up 3 runs, 3 runs and 5 runs in each of his last 3 starts in the first inning. Both pitchers would toss scoreless 1st innings. In the top of the 2nd, Noelvi Marte crushes his first home run of the season, a two run home run staying just inside the foul pole and that gives the Reds an early 2-0 lead.
The Yankees would threaten in the bottom of the 3rd. Abbott would walk 2 straight batters, but would get out of it on a good defensive play by Elly De La Cruz. Stuart Fairchild would take Rodón deep in the top of the 5th, extending the Reds lead to 3-0.
Abbott would get the first batter out in the 7th inning, then allow a double to Jahmai Jones. That would be the end of the night for Andrew Abbott. Fernando Cruz would relieve Abbott. Cruz would walk the first batter and be followed up with a 2 RBI double off the bat of Anthony Volpe, cutting the lead to 3-2. Cruz would get out of the jam on a double play off the bat of Aaron Judge. The Reds would toss a scoreless 8th inning with help from the glove of Noelvi Marte. Alexis Diaz would attempt to lock down the win and the series win for the Reds in the 9th. After walking the first batter, Diaz would get a ground ball, resulting in a double play, certainly killing any momentum for the Yankees. Diaz would get Juan Soto to pop out to the left fielder Spencer Steer and that would do it. Reds win 3-2 and win the series in New York.
Andrew Abbott had another spectacular outing tonight. He would go 6.1 innings allowing just 3 hits. He would walk 4 and strikeout just 2 but that was enough to get the job done.
BOX SCORE STANDOUTS:
Noelvi Marte: 1-4 HR(1) 2RBI
Tyler Stephenson: 1-3 BB
Stuart Fairchild: 1-3 HR(5)
Winning Pitcher: Andrew Abbott (8-6)
Losing Pitcher: Carlos Rodón (9-6)
Save: Alexis Diaz (19)
The Reds look to close out the series with a sweep on the 4th of July Thursday. Frankie Montas makes his return to Yankee Stadium on Thursday.
Thursday Starters
Frankie Montas
Marcus Stroman
Game 3:
The Reds look to sweep the Yankees for the first time since the 1976 World Series. Frankie Montas makes his first start against his former team, the New York Yankees. Montas would have shoulder surgery in February of 2023 and would pitch just 9 games in 2 seasons with the team. Montas was acquired at the trade deadline in 2022 from Oakland.
Will Benson would start the game off defensively with a bang, robbing Juan Soto of potential extra bases and keeping the first inning scoreless. Nick Martini would hit his 5th home run of the season off Stroman in the 2nd inning, giving the Reds a 1-0 lead.
In the 3rd, Jonathan India would hit a solo home run off Stroman, extending the Reds lead to 2-0. In the 5th, Jonathan India would reach on a base hit, Elly De La Cruz would walk, and Spencer Steer would bring them all in with a 3 run home run over the short right field wall, extending the Reds lead to 5-0.
The Yankees would get 1 back off Montas, Austin Wells hit his 4th home run of the season. Yankees trail 5-1. Later in the innng, Ben Rice would hit his first career home run off Montas, cutting the lead to 5-2. In the bottom of the 6th, Elly De La Cruz would throw out the runner at home trying to score on a ground ball, score remains 5-2 Reds. In the top of the 7th, Jake Fraley would hit a 3 run triple to extend the Reds lead to 8-2.
In the bottom of the 7th, Juan Soto would hit a 2 run home run off Nick Martinez to cut the Reds lead to 4. The Reds bullpen would shut the door on a Yankees comeback. Sam Moll would pitch a perfect 9th to earn the Reds a series sweep in Yankee Stadium. Reds win 8-4.
Frankie Montas was solid in his first start back at Yankee Stadium. He would go 5 innings, allow 2 earned runs on 4 hits. He would strike out 4 and walk 3.
BOX SCORE STANDOUTS:
Jonathan India: 3-5 HR(6) RBI, 3R
Spencer Steer: 1-4 HR(11) 3RBI
Jake Fraley: 2-4 3B 3RBI
The Reds sweep the Yankees in New York and end the road trip 5-2. This is the Reds first sweep ever in the regular season against the Yankees and first since the Big Red Machine days in the 1976 World Series. The Reds return home on Friday to take on the Detroit Tigers for a 3 game weekend series. Cincinnati looks to get hot before the All-Star break. Their next 3 opponents are all under .500
Friday Probables
Carson Spiers (2-1 3.13 ERA)
Reese Olson (2-8 3.32 ERA)
Olson has an ERA of 1.96 in his last 3 appearances. Carson Spiers is looking to prove that he does belong in this rotation. He has primarily been used as a long relief pitcher but has earned some starts with Lodolo being on the IL.
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