Top of the Game: Reds Start Off Strong on Defense
The Reds went toe-to-toe with the Athletics with a solid start by our pitchers and defense. In the top of the first inning, we saw Lawrence Butler ground out to second, followed by Brent Rooker flying out to right, and JJ Bleday flying out to left. Our boys got three quick outs, keeping the momentum on our side!
Struggles at the Plate for the Reds
Our bats were pretty silent early on. In the bottom of the 1st, we couldn't get something going against the Athletics’ pitcher. Jonathan India, Elly De La Cruz, and Tyler Stephenson all got out, leaving us scoreless. In the second inning, TJ Friedl tripled to right, giving us a glimmer of hope, but a series of unfortunate outs left us stranded scoreless.
Reds Take the Lead in the Fourth Inning
Finally, in the bottom of the 4th, our patience paid off! Tyler Stephenson walked, and Ty France came in clutch with a single to right, allowing Stephenson to score and putting us up 1-0. It felt like we had the game under control, especially with our pitching doing an outstanding job through the fifth inning.
Disastrous 7th Inning Hurts the Reds
Things took a nasty turn in the top of the 7th inning. Max Schuemann hit a two-run homer, alongside Butler blasting a two-run shot of his own, leaving us in a 4-1 hole. To make matters worse, a fielding error and another single added more pressure. We fell behind 4-1.
Reds Fight Back but Fall Short
In the 8th, the Reds showed heart! Tyler Stephenson and Spencer Steer got on base, and a couple of walks brought runs home to make it 5-2. In the 9th inning, we managed to get within one run courtesy of hits from De La Cruz, Stephenson, and France. But our rally fell just short as Amed Rosario struck out with the tying and winning runs in scoring position. Final score - Athletics 5, Reds 4.
Final Thoughts
Though we didn't come out on top today, there were some strong performances that we can build on. A huge shoutout to our pitching staff for solid early innings, and kudos to our guys for the fight they put up at the end. Reds Country, we’ll get 'em next time! Keep the faith!
Go Reds!
It's always tough to see us fall short by just one run, but let's keep supporting our boys and look forward to the next game. Let’s turn those close losses into big wins! Reds Nation, we'll bounce back!
Scoreboard for Athletics @ Reds (August 27th, 2024)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 11 | 1 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 0 |