A delayed start, a four hour and ten minute game, 12 innings, and a Cincinnati Reds 6-5 victory over the Colorado Rockies is all you could want on a Saturday night, right?
| Final | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Reds (18-19) | 6 | 10 | 0 |
| Colorado Rockies (15-25) |
5 | 8 | 0 |
| W: Sims (3-1) L: Santos (0-1) SV: Hembree (1) |
|||
| Statcast | Box Score | Game Thread | |||
The Offense
After a quiet start, it was starting pitcher Tyler Mahle who got things going in the 3rd inning when he worked a walk. Nick Castellanos came up an out later and unloaded on a curveball for a 405 foot 2-run homer that tied the game up. The offense went silent from there until the 7th inning. With two outs the Reds went into potential rally mode, at least sort of, as Jonathan India walked, Alex Blandino was hit by a pitch, and then Tyler Mahle walked to load the bases. That brought Jesse Winker to the plate to face newly inserted reliever Justin Lawrence who induced a ground out to second base to end the frame. Two innings later it was Winker’s chance at redemption with two runners on with two outs, but he struck out to send the game to the bottom of the 9th all tied up at 2-2.
Tejay Antone, with the help of Shogo Akiyama, kept the Rockies off of the board in the bottom of the 9th to send the game to extra-innings. With Jesse Winker beginning the inning at second, Nick Castellanos worked a walk to bring up pinch-hitter Tyler Stephenson who came off of the bench to hit for Antone. Stephenson didn’t have any magic on the night as he grounded into a double play. Eugenio Suárez followed with a ground out of his own to end the inning – marking the first time all year the Reds failed to score in the 10th inning.
The Reds bullpen came through and sent the game to the 11th. After Tucker Barnhart struck out to begin the inning it brought Kyle Farmer to the plate and he took a 1-1 pitch 412 feet into left field for a 2-run homer to put Cincinnati on top.
A 4-2 lead wasn’t enough as the Rockies scored two runs of their own to send the game to the 12th inning. With Jesse Winker leading off the inning at second base he came around to score on a Nick Castellanos double that put the Reds ahead once again. Nick Senzel came off of the bench and lined a single into left field to advanced Castellanos to third. Eugenio Suárez grounded out on a great play by Trevor Story, but Castellanos came home on the play to make it 6-4. Another web game from Story followed as he dove for a line drive and doubled Senzel to end the inning.
The Pitching
It was a tough 1st inning for Tyler Mahle. He allowed a leadoff double and then a home run by Ryan McMahon that may not have landed yet (Statcast says it went 478 feet, but how do they know since it’s still in orbit?). But the Reds righty tossed six shutout frames moving forward, including a shutout 7th inning that began with a leadoff triple.
In the 8th inning the game was still tied up at 2-2 and Cincinnati turned the game over to Tejay Antone. The Rockies hit two balls fairly hard to left field but Jesse Winker came up with both of them. Antone returned for the 9th inning and picked up two quick strikeouts, but Garrett Hampson hit one 405 feet to dead center. Fortunately the game was in Coors Field where the walls are a bit deeper, and thankfully Shogo Akiyama’s hamstring is 100% because he tracked the ball down with a leaping catch on the warning track in order to send the game to extras – much to the delight of his pitcher.
SHOWTIME SHOGO ?
We're headed to extra innings! pic.twitter.com/WWulCMeqet
— Bally Sports Cincinnati (@BallySportsCIN) May 16, 2021
After Tejay Antone was pinch hit for in the top of the 10th inning the Reds turned things over to Lucas Sims for the bottom of the inning with the hopes that he could keep the Rockies from touching home plate. After a ground out and a strikeout, Cincinnati opted to intentionally walk Raimel Tapia to set up a match up with Connor Joe and it worked out just as they had hoped as he grounded out to end the inning and send the game to the 11th.
Sims returned for the 11th inning and this time he had a lead to work with. A line drive to Kyle Farmer resulted in the 1st out of the inning and a close play at second, but it ultimately went unreviewed and Raimel Tapia was ruled safe getting back to the bag on a dive. A wild pitch moved the runner up to third. It wouldn’t matter, but not in a good way. Ryan McMahon walked and Josh Fuentes doubled in both runners to tie the game up. Sims would strike out Yonathan Daza for the second out of the inning, and intentionally walked Garrett Hampson to face Elias Diaz, who had a .342 OPS entering the plate appearance but had to bat as the last catching option remaining for the Rockies. The plan worked as Sims picked up the strikeout to end the inning.
Heath Hembree entered the game with a 2-run lead and a 0.00 ERA through eight games. With Colorado getting a runner on second to start the inning they got on the board on two straight ground outs to make it 6-5. That brought Austin Gomber to the plate as a pinch hitter and he did what his teammate did prior – grounded out. This ground out ended the game, though, and Cincinnati moved to 18-19 on the year with the victory.
Key Moment of the Game
Nick Castellanos’ go-ahead double in the 12th inning. He would later score what would eventually be the pivotal 6th run of the game for Cincinnati.
Up Next for the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds at Colorado Rockies
Sunday May 16th, 3:10pm ET
Jeff Hoffman (2-3, 4.70 ERA) vs Antonio Senzatela (1-4, 5.97 ERA)
Much needed win.
Not going to get a W too many nights when the leadoff and #4 hitters go a combined 0 for 12 and leave 12 (!!!) runners on base … so take the victory and run to the hotel.
Can secure a winning road trip on Sunday.
It was good to see the win. Another today would be so welcome
9 extra inning games for the Reds.
The Jim Day, Castellanos, and fan interview was great! Way to stick it to Rob Manfred, Mr. Fan!!!
Best Reds interview of all time. Best fan ever! If MLB wants more scoring, this is how.
My kids had friends over and someone stobbed up our toilet. I must have missed this dealing with that micro crisis. someone tell me what happened… or link?
I didn’t see this. Where is it posted online? Or does someone have a rough transcription of the fan’s part?
https://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/mlb/reds/2021/05/16/nick-castellanos-told-imagine-rob-manfreds-face-ball-before-homer/5118207001/
Thanks
The Commish is Manfredniacal.
That was a nice middle finger to the powers that be. They need to let these guys play, and have emotions.
https://twitter.com/CincyShirts/status/1393987856364982273?s=01
T-shirt “LEGEND”
I know complaining about Bell gets old, but he just continues to do crazy things in my opinion.
Tonight he burned Naquin and Stephenson to move to pitcher from 9th to 3rd in the lineup. That seems a high price to pay to move 3 spots. Antone pitched 2 innings.
Had be been moving the pitcher 6 or more spots (meaning he would for sure bat in the next inning), it may make sense.
It seems to me that if you are only going to have 4 bench players, you should use them carefully.
Lorenzen would give him more cover
It does get old—for me because I exhaust myself as there are so many issues to find fault with.
And i’m sure for others because I do not too much. So I’ll stop here
Yes, it does get old. Same old, same old.
Agree. Alternatively, Antone needed 22 pitches for his 2 innings. Bell could have had Antone bunt with 1st ans 2nd and no out in extra innings. Maybe Reds score and Antone can pitch bottom of the inning for his 3rd inning. Wasn’t the goal to stretch out his innings?
The Reds need a win today to leave with a series split but it’s probably not going to be easy with Hoffman, a former Rocky, on the mound and a bullpen not well rested. And a couple tough series coming up at GASP.
I’m slightly hopeful that since Hoffman has experience at Coors Field that he’ll be better than his counterparts that haven’t factored in the way the pitches act different in the atmosphere.
Has Cowboy or Welsh commented on that during the last 3 games?
I wish they’d call up someone else to be 5th starter. Hoffman gives me no confidence. His starts I chalk up as probable losses. (Same w Castillo now.) I’d rather see him in the BP as long man or cleanup
Plus, they have a fresh Amir Garrett today. I almost would use Garrett as an opener and have him go for about 35 pitches.
A win is a win; and, the Reds simply could not afford to let this one slip away from them after back to back debacles to open the series. Things would look a lot brighter come Monday morning if they can find a way to salvage a split on Sunday.
Hopefully Garret has been able to throw on the sidelines and will have his emotional side under control too if (when) called upon Sunday because there is probably little to nothing left in the tank Sunday for Antone or Sims, especially given the shorter turnaround .
Revier Sanmartin got the win at AA last night with 5IP 2 runs 3 hits 9k and 1bb
He is a lefty ground ball pitcher who doesnt walk guys and a great throw in with the Sonny Gray trade. Id like to see some pitching moves and role changes on the 26 man roster.
Hoffman is pitching for his rotation spot imo today.
Must see TV today with senzel 3b and india 2b
Sweet!
This lineup definitely definitely against conventional RLN wisdom. I dig it, I’ve always said Senzel’s best asset is his defensive flexibility. He may be playing 3B because his heal, but now he’s started as a CF, 2B and 3B.
last nights game was a thriller, I woke my wife up 3 times to make her watch the late game heroics! I think she hates baseball but plays along and acts excited.
If we can say anything about the Reds team this year, apart from maybe the past 3-4 seasons, is that this club is not one to turn the channel on in the late innings.
The game on Friday I was really in to, but mentally I wasn’t in a spot to handle an extras loss to Colorado.
I had opened a new tab on my browser to see what else I would want to watch, and Tyler hit that homer.
Taught me a lesson about this team. They aren’t going to quit, so I need to not quit on them when they are down.
They look completely lethargic. Maybe thats a reflection of awful defense. Naquin looking like a junior he player in the line drive to CF. Hoffman airmailing the easy out to 1b. I’ve just turned the game off. I hope they come back and now that Hoffman is out of the game maybe they’ll have a chance. He might be a nice guy but he is at best a BP long man. I’d rather see someone from the minors.