Stranded: Reds 8, Phillies 1

Stranded: Reds 8, Phillies 1

The streaks are no more.

The Philadelphia Phillies’ pursuit of their eighth-straight win fell woefully short as they dropped game two of the four game stint against the Cincinnati Reds 8-1 on Tuesday night.

Stellar defense that had been a pillar of their week-long string of victories was absent from the night’s proceedings. Early mistakes in the field doomed Cristopher Sanchez from the jump, as his 3.0 IP was the shortest outing of any Phillies’ starter so far this season.

Reds’ starter, Andrew Abbott, was adequate but certainly not overpowering, but the offense could not cash in on any of their opportunities, of which there were many as evidenced by their nine runners left on base.

After striking out Kyle Schwarber and inducing a lazy pop fly from Trea Turner to begin the game, Abbott gave up back to back doubles on consecutive pitches to JT Realmuto and Alec Bohm to give the Phillies a 1-0 lead.

Reds’ center fielder, Stuart Fairchild, hit a sharp grounder that ate up Edmundo Sosa at third base and put the leadoff man on to begin the bottom of the first inning. Sanchez kept the lead runner at first with a fielder’s choice and a fly out to right. Then Reds’ third baseman, Jeimer Candelario, after getting behind 0-2 to Sanchez, worked a frustrating ten-pitch walk that proved pivotal as first baseman, Christian Encarnacion-Strand raked a double down the right field line to even the score.

Encarnacion-Strand would cause more two-out damage in the bottom of the third inning. Reds’ catcher, Tyler Stephenson, worked a seven-pitch walk and moved up to second on a wild pitch by Sanchez and Encarnacion-Strand hit a 1-0 changeup into left. Cristian Pache made a strong throw that looked to have a chance to get Stephenson at home before the ball hit him in the leg and skittered into foul territory which allowed Encarnacion-Strand to reach third.

Reds’ shortstop, Elly De La Cruz, worked a six-pitch walk and stole second on the next pitch to Reds’ DH, Nick Martini. Martini hit a bouncer up the middle that Turner made a good play on but the throw caught Bohm in an awkward position and the ball skipped under his glove.

The official scorer in Cincinnati ruled it a single for Martini and a two-run error. Martini also reached second on the error and scored on a single by Reds’ second baseman, Santiago Espinal, two pitches later. Sanchez got right fielder, Will Benson, to fly out and finally end the inning.

When the dust settled, Sanchez’s night was over, the Reds’ had scored four, and the Phillies had committed two more errors, bringing their total to three for the game.

Yunior Marte came in to relieve Sanchez in the bottom of the fourth inning. With one out, Reds’ left fielder, Spencer Steer, turned on a 2-0 fastball that looked destined to clear the fence in deep left center before Johan Rojas tracked it down all the way into the wall. He seemed to be okay after staying in for the remainder of the game.

After their back to back doubles to score the game’s opening run, the Phillies’ lineup offered little resistance against Abbott through the second to fourth innings, with the only base runner coming via a one-out walk to Kyle Schwarber in the third. Then in the top of the fifth inning, Abbott walked the bottom of the order back-to-back-to-back to load the bases. Abbott got Schwarber to strike out looking on a fastball in the middle of the zone that Kyle clearly misdiagnosed. Reds’ manager, David Bell, opted to go to his bullpen and Fernando Cruz came in to pitch to Turner. After taking the first pitch for a ball inside, Turner swung and missed at three straight offerings on his way back to the bench. Realmuto lined out to center to leave them loaded.

Encarnacion-Strand continued his big night with another hit off of Marte to start the bottom of the fifth. De La Cruz worked a full count before clapping a loud long ball to the seats in left center.

Bohm opened the sixth inning with a double off of Reds’ reliever, Buck Farmer, his second of the game and seventh on the year. Castellanos flied out to center before Whit Merrifield reached safely on a grounder to third and beating out a throw from Candelario. Then Pache hit a slow roller to short that De La Cruz barged in on to start a double play that negated another Phillies’ threat.

Orion Kerkering pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the sixth inning in the third appearance since his call-up and maintained his perfect 0.00 ERA.

Farmer pegged Sosa to put a runner on to begin the top of the seventh inning. It was the third straight inning the Phillies’ leadoff man reached base and it would be the third straight he was left stranded.

Matt Strahm pitched another 1-2-3 frame in the bottom of the inning, but the offensive offered little resistance in the top of the eighth against Reds’ reliever, Emilio Pagan, going down in order on eight pitches.

The Reds extended their lead to seven runs in the bottom of the eighth with a leadoff home run from Espinal off of Ricardo Pinto.

They would again get their leadoff man on in the top of the ninth via a single by Merrifield and turned the order over with an infield single by Rojas that was originally called out and overturned. But, again, they would be left aboard as Schwarber went down swinging for a hat trick to end the game.

The other streak coming to a close was Turner’s 11-game hit streak, as he went 0-4 and ended the game in the on deck circle hoping for some good luck. That wasn’t on offer tonight.

Game three of the four-game series will see Spencer Turnbull face off against Nick Lodolo tomorrow at 6:40pm.