Reds Win, Bullpen Snaps Streak

The Cincinnati Reds were able to extend their winning streak. Cincinnati made it three games in a row, as they defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 5-1. The win helped them draw closer to the.500 mark. Their victory was an important achievement for the bullpen also. The W helped the much maligned relievers stop a horrendous streak.

Dating back to April 10, the Reds’ bullpen had allowed at least one run in 23 consecutive games. That mark set a major league record. As far as streaks, that’s not good. It was a thorn in the side of a decent starting rotation that performed well for the Reds. The streak transformed Cincinnati from a team that looked like a dark-horse contender to loveable losers.

Reds starter Tim Adelman went five strong innings, before being lifted. His pitch count was in excess of 100, when manager Bryan Price decided he’d gone long enough. Caleb Cotham toed the rubber after Adelman and delivered two innings of scoreless, one-hit relief work.

“Yeah, we’re aware of it. It’s not something — I wouldn’t say it drives us,” Cotham offered, with an explanation via Cincinnati Reds. “It’s definitely on our mind, it’s something we think about. We take pride in doing our job, and it just hasn’t worked out the way we think we’re capable of pitching. The results are what they are. All we can do is control how we go about it, our work every game.”

After Cotham exited the mound, Blake Wood began the eighth inning for the Reds. He promptly gave up two hits. Tony Cingrani was called upon to get the mounting disaster under control. The Brewers were able to load the bases, but Cingrani eventually coaxed pinch-hitter Hernan Perez to pop a fly ball to short left field, for the final out of the frame. Reds fans could breathe a sigh of relief.

Zack Cozart made a spectacular play, to get a force out of Chris Carter at third base. That may have been the play of the inning. Cingrani acknowledged Cozart’s defense, as he talked about getting out of the jam.

“So we threw the slider, and it kind of got [Perez] off the heater to give him something different to look at. Then threw that fastball inside, and he just popped it up and ended the threat. It was a good play by Cozart, too.”

The Reds are starting to show their power during the homestand. Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips helped the cause with two more dingers. With the victory, the Reds have their longest winning streak since the start of the season. Votto started the scoring early, with a solo shot in the bottom of the first frame.

The Votto-Phillips home run high-five. #Redshttps://t.co/NMnbMISPzS

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) May 7, 2016

Phillips launched a three-run shot in the third inning, with one out, on a 1-2 pitch. His blast put the Reds up 5-0. That was all the scoring they would need.

“You want to attack a team early, try to get things going, try to make your pitcher feel comfortable.”

Cincinnati will face the Brewers in game three of the series Saturday, with the activities set for 7:10 pm ET. The Reds will have Brandon Finnegan on the mound. The Brewers will counter with Jimmy Nelson. Despite the pitching woes, Nelson is the bright spot of the Brew Crew rotation. Teams have a combined.204 batting average, when he’s hurling the ball.

A great Friday night #RedsWin pic.twitter.com/K7eCBPElPi

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) May 7, 2016

Updates

Devin Mesoraco will undergo surgery on his left shoulder. The injury had been nagging him since the start of the new campaign.

“I would imagine it’ll be difficult to get back out there before the end of the year,” Mesoraco explained, via The Cincinnati Enquirer. “But who knows.”

The surgery will be his second, in less than two years. The Reds catcher previously went under the knife in June to correct a hip problem.

[Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images]