The Detroit Tigers came to town to take on a Cincinnati Reds ball club coming off of a sweep of the New York Yankees in Yankee Stadium and a 5-2 road trip.
Game 1:
Carson Spiers is on the mound for Cincinnati. After a scoreless 1st inning, with 2 outs in the top of the 2nd, Stuart Fairchild would rob Gio Urshela of a go ahead home run. That is Fairchild’s 3rd time taking away a home run, he leads Major League Baseball in that statistic. Parker Meadows would make sure no one would could take away his fly ball to right, a mammoth shot to right field, giving the Tigers a 1-0 lead.
In the 3rd inning still, Stuart Fairchild would make another impressive over the shoulder leaping grab, robbing the Tigers of extra bases. Colt Keith would take Spiers deep in the 3rd for his 6th home run of the season, extending their lead to 2-0. Keith would take Spiers deep again in the 5th inning, a 2 run shot, extending the Tigers lead to 4-0. Friday night was the first multi home run game of Keith’s career. The Reds would get one back in the bottom of the 5th. Tigers starter Reese Olson was cruising along in this one, tossing 4 no hit innings. Spencer Steer would take away the no hitter and the shut out on 1 swing, cutting the Tigers lead to 4-1.
The Reds would get a couple runners on in the 6th inning. Jeimer Candelario would ground a ball to the short stop that would be bobbled, and thrown wide of the first baseman, allowing Jonathan India to score from 2nd on a play at the plate. The Tigers would add on in the 7th. Riley Greene would take Brent Suter deep to right to extend the Tigers lead to 5-2. The Reds would attempt a Rally in the 9th. Elly De La Cruz would reach 1st on an infield single, steel 2nd base, advance to 3rd and score on a Spencer Steer hard ground ball to 3rd. Reds trail 5-3. Nick Martini would follow Steer with a triple down the right field line, scoring Steer and now the Reds trail 5-4.
The Tigers would escape the 9th inning jam and win this one. 5-4.
The Reds made it a close game, but it wasn’t enough. The long ball is what did it for the Redlegs. 4 home runs and all the runs scored came off of Tiger homers.
BOX SCORE STANDOUTS:
Jonathan India 1-4 R
Elly De La Cruz: 1-2 2BB, R, SB
Spencer Steer: 2-4 2RBI HR(12)
Winning Pitcher: Reese Olson (3-8 3.22 ERA)
Losing Pitcher: Carson Spiers (2-2 3.64 ERA)
Save: Jason Foley (14)
Saturday Starters:
Hunter Greene
Alex Faedo (Opener)
Game 2:
Hunter Greene takes the mound for the Reds Saturday afternoon. The Tigers are using Alex Faedo as an opener for a bullpen day to start. Faedo would go 2 innings and allow 1 hit with 1 strikeout. Beau Briske would come in to relive Faedo. In the 5th inning, Tyler Stephenson would rip a 2 RBI double in the left field gap, giving the Reds a 2-0 lead.
Hunter Greene was tremendous in this one for the Reds. 7 innings, 7 strikeouts, 2 walks and 0 runs scored. Like most Hunter Greene starts, run support was at a premium. The Tigers would pounce once Greene was out of the game. Austin Meadows would double off the Reds new pitcher Fernando Cruz. The Tigers would pinch hit for McKinstry, opting for Wenceel Perez. Perez would crush a 2 run home run to right field off a Fernando Cruz fastball, tying the game at 2 and ending Hunter Greene’s chance at a win. Cruz would walk the next batter and Sam Moll would take over for Cruz. Moll would walk his first batter and then allow an RBI double off the bat of Mark Canha, giving the Tigers a 3-2 lead. The Reds would get an out on a broken bat bleeder to Steer, who bobbled the ball, but got it to the covering Moll in time for the out. The runner would score from 3rd, extending the Tigers lead to 4-2. Lucas Sims would come in to replace Moll and promptly get crushed for a RBI double in the left field gap, again extending the lead to 5-2. The Tigers scored 5 runs in the 8th inning off 2 of the Reds best relievers. Spencer Steer would cut into the lead with a solo home run in the bottom of the 9th but the Reds offense couldn’t get it done. Tigers complete the comeback and ruin a fantastic outing from Hunter Greene, again, Tigers win 5-3.
Hunter Greene is proving again and again that he can be the ace of this staff, along side lefty Nick Lodolo, but the Reds seem to never score runs when Greene starts. Saturday was Greene’s 11th start where the Reds scored 3 runs or less, the Reds have 2 wins in those games. The Reds lose the series at home against the under .500 Tigers after sweeping the Yankees in the Bronx.
BOX SCORE STANDOUTS:
Spencer Steer: 1-2 HR(13) 2R
Tyler Stephenson: 1-4 2B, 2RBI
Hunter Greene: 7IP 7K. 2BB, 0R 3H
Winning Pitcher: Shelby Miller (5-6 5.97 ERA
Losing Pitcher: Fernando Cruz (3-6 4.58 ERA)
Save: Andrew Chafin (1)
Sunday Starters:
Graham Ashcraft
Tarik Skubal
Game 3:
The Tigers look to compete the 3 game sweep over the Reds in Great American Ballpark on Sunday afternoon. Tarik Skubal takes on Graham Ashcraft. After 3 scoreless innings, Zack McKinstry would line an RBI single to left off Ashcraft to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead in the 4th. The Tigers would get another run in the 7th. Colt Keith would hit a RBI single off Nick Martinez, that would score Jake Rogers and extend the Tigers lead to 2-0. The Reds would get 1 run in the bottom of the inning on a RBI groundout by Noelvi Marte, to cut the lead to 2-1. In the 8th, the Tigers play add on. Zach McKinstry hits a 2 run home run off Alexis Diaz to extend the Tigers lead to 4-1. Later in the inning, Jake Rogers would hit a RBI single to center, Reds now trail 5-1. The Reds would go 1-2-3 in the 8th and spoil a Spencer Steer double in the 9th as the Tigers win Sunday afternoon 5-1 and complete the sweep. The Reds did not walk in this one and struck out 15 times on Sunday.
The Reds placed OF Nick Martini on the 10 day IL and recalled IF/OF Livan Soto on Sunday. This adds to the list of injuring decimating this team in 2024. Yes Martini isn’t the focal point of the Reds offense and plans in the future, he is someone who can get hot and steal you a win or two.
Graham Ashcraft would get credited with the loss in this one. He would pitch 4.2 innings, allow 1 run on 6 hits, walk 3 and strike out 2.
BOX SCORE STANDOUTS:
Spencer Steer 1-4 2B
Austin Wynns: 1-3
Winning Pitcher: Tarik Skubal (10-3 2.37 ERA)
Losing Pitcher: Graham Ashcraft (5-5 5.24 ERA)
The Reds play the Colorado Rockies on Monday night. The Reds look to get a win and stay alive in this 10 game home stand before the All-Star break.
Mondays Probables:
Ryan Feltner: (1-7 5.60 ERA 1-5 4.65 ERA on the road)
Andrew Abbott: (8-6 3.28 ERA 3-3 3.32 ERA at home)
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