KSReds: Cincinnati Reds Split Two-Game Series at Fenway

On Tuesday night in Boston, the Cincinnati Reds did something they hadn’t done since 1975. The 2-1 victory was the organization’s first at Fenway Park since Game 7 of the ’75 World Series. While the current Reds ball club has very little in common with the Big Red Machine, they can both at least say they won at historic Fenway Park.

After the quick two-game split against the Red Sox, Cincinnati returns for a nice home stand at Great American Ball Park. The Reds start with four games against the Washington Nationals followed by four more against the Arizona Diamondbacks. A stretch of eight games against teams below .500 feels like an important stretch for a team still trying to climb out of the National League Central cellar. The Cincinnati Reds do not have a scheduled off-day until June 16th.

Thursday night’s first pitch at GABP is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. EST. 24-year-old Graham Ashcraft, one of the team’s top prospects, will take the mound in game one of the series. Ashcraft has been great in his two MLB starts so far and the Reds are 2-0 when he pitches. They will look to extend that good fortune on Thursday night.

Luis Castillo Dazzles in Win at Fenway Park

The historic nature of Tuesday night’s win in Boston has already been discussed. It was the first victory by the Cincinnati Reds at Fenway Park since defeating the Red Sox in Game 7 of the 1975 World Series. However, most importantly for the 2022 ball club, it was their fifth victory in six games. The 3-22 start to the season still looms large, but the Reds are ever so slowly climbing out of the hole.

It was the Boston Red Sox who gifted the two runs necessary to give Cincinnati the win. Both runs came via throwing errors in the sixth and ninth innings to give the Reds a 2-0 advantage. In the sixth, the Reds had runners on the corners with nobody out, but a base running blunder by Albert Almora Jr. appeared to be a rally killer. After a pop-out to shortstop for the second out, Nick Senzel dribbled one down the third base line which Rafael Devers launched up the first base line to make it 1-0.

On the mound, Luis Castillo was dominant, earning his second victory of the season. He went six shutout innings allowing just one hit while striking out 10 batters. Alexis Diaz and Hunter Strickland took over, throwing clean frames in the seventh and eighth. However, in the bottom of the ninth, things got a little interesting against Tony Santillan. He allowed three hits and eventually a run via an infield single that Joey Votto misplayed at first base. With Trevor Story at the plate and the tying run 90 feet away at third base, Santillan delivered a strikeout to end the game and record his fourth save. Cincy came away with a 2-1 victory to take game one of the series.

Reds Offense Goes Cold in Boston

After scoring just two runs on Tuesday night, the Cincinnati Reds managed just one in Wednesday evening’s loss. This time around, the Red Sox broke out for seven runs of their own to cruise to an easy victory.

For three innings, it appeared we had another pitcher’s duel brewing at Fenway. Hunter Greene was absolutely brilliant striking out seven batters through three innings, but the wheels fell off in the fourth. Greene couldn’t even make it out of the inning, eventually leaving after three and two-thirds allowing four runs on six hits.

In the sixth inning Nick Senzel grounded out to first base scoring Aristides Aquino, but that is the only run the Reds would get. Boston added three more in the bottom of the eighth with a bases-clearing triple by Jackie Bradley Jr. The Red Sox finished off a 7-1 win to split the two-game series.