Reds lose game, series to Kansas City Royals
The ask of the Cincinnati Reds ' bullpen was to once again hold late in a tie game. Similarly, the task for the Reds' was bats to deliver again in the late innings. Both asks proved to be too much. A night after a rousing comeback win in 10 innings against the Kansas City Royals
The ask of the Cincinnati Reds ' bullpen was to once again hold late in a tie game. Similarly, the task for the Reds' was bats to deliver again in the late innings. Both asks proved to be too much.
A night after a rousing comeback win in 10 innings against the Kansas City Royals , the Reds on June 3 managed to pull even from an early 2-0 deficit but lost 5-2 at Great American Ball Park. Reliever Tony Santillan allowed three runs in the top of the ninth inning, with Michael Massey singling in the go-ahead run for a 3-2 lead.
Nick Loftin then gave the Royal some cushion with a two-run homer.
In the bottom of the ninth, Spencer Steer started things with a double down the left-field line but Will Benson and Edwin Arroyo both struck out. The freshly promoted Noelvi Marte then walked to reach base in his first at-bat since being recalled from Triple-A Louisville.
That brought the tying run to the plate in Blake Dunn , the prior night's walk-off hero in the 10th inning. Dunn had also hit the game-tying, two-run homer in the fifth inning, but flew out to end the series finale.
Reds starter Chase Burns (7-1, no decision) allowed first inning two-run homer to Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino .
Those runs on the Dunn home run was all Cincinnati (31-30) could muster in the finale as they also lost the series to the Royals, who entered play tied for the worst record in baseball at 23-38.
Burns, coming off an illness and being scratched from starting the June 1 series opener, went six innings and allowed four hits and one walk. He struck out nine as he ERA drifted up slightly from 1.96 to 2.05.
