KSReds: Cincinnati Reds Swept by New York Yankees

In typical Cincinnati Reds fashion all three games of this series were competitive. However, the New York Yankees came away with a three-game sweep at Great American Ball Park. The Reds have now lost six of their last seven games to fall to 19-27 on the season. Meanwhile, the Yankees improved to 29-20.

It was a lack of offense that did the Reds in against the Yankees this weekend. New York’s bullpen was especially dominant pitching a combined 13 and 1/3 shutout innings while allowing just four total hits. You aren’t going to lose many ball games putting up stats like that.

The Reds will remain in Cincinnati to begin the week with a four-game series against the rival St. Louis Cardinals. After spending most of the season so far in the National League Central cellar, the Cardinals have gotten hot winning nine of their last 12 games. They have now overtaken the Reds in the standings as Cincinnati’s season heads in the opposite direction. Brandon Williamson is set to pitch on Monday night at 6:40 p.m. Eastern Time. Graham Ashcraft, Ben Lively, and Luke Weaver will also take the mound against St. Louis.

Judge, Rizzo Homer as Yankees Take Series Opener

The New York Yankees fans that made the trip to Great American Ball Park were treated to some early fireworks. On Friday night Aaron Judge wasted no time blasting one 431 feet to centerfield for a home run to go on top of the Cincinnati Reds 1-0. Then, in the sixth, Anthony Rizzo hit a two run shot to make it a 3-0 game. Rizzo’s home run came after pulling starter Ben Lively for Ian Gibaut. Lively was excellent in five and two-third innings allowing two runs on two hits while striking out eight batters. One could argue that he deserved a chance to face Rizzo himself after throwing just 83 pitches.

In the bottom half of the sixth the Reds got on the board with a Jake Fraley double to the centerfield wall. Jonathan India and rookie Matt McLain scored on the play to make it 3-2. However, that is as close as Cincinnati would get.

Yankees catcher Kyle Higashioka provided a couple of insurance runs in the top of the ninth with a two run double that made it a 5-2 game. Finally, Harrison Bader set the final score of 6-2 with a single up the middle. The New York Bullpen allowed just one hit in four shutout innings while combining for five strikeouts. Clarke Schmidt earned the win on the mound with five innings of five-hit, two-run baseball.

Judge, Rizzo Once Again Power Their Way Over Reds

Aaron Judge went 4-4 with three runs batted in while Anthony Rizzo finished 2-5 with three runs battled in. Both were involved in the Yankees three runs scored in the top of the 10th inning to defeat the Cincinnati Reds 7-4. Judge provided the go-ahead run with a single to left field. Then, Rizzo went deep for the second straight night at GABP with a two-run shot high off of the right field foul pole that set the final score of 7-4.

Despite the final score, it was the Reds who struck first and built a comfortable early lead. Jake Fraley stayed hot with a single up the middle to make it a 1-0 game in favor of Cincinnati. Luke Maile blasted a two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth which made it a 4-1 advantage on the scoreboard. That would be the end of the offense though as the Yankees bullpen once again dominated the Reds.

After tossing four one-hit, shutout innings on Friday night, the Yankees relief pitching stepped up with five one-hit, shutout innings on Saturday. It was Clay Holmes who was credited with the win while Ryan Weber earned his first save of the season.

Reds Struggle Once Again to Provide Hunter Greene Run Support

For the vast majority of the game the Yankees had no answer for Hunter Greene. The Cincinnati Reds young star turned in a very solid start going seven innings while allowing just four hits and striking out 10 batters. However, two of those four hits were home runs and he also walked three batters as the Yankees were able to get four runs off of the flame-thrower. Greene once again was a victim of little to no run support as well as he fell to 0-4 on the season with a 4.68 earned run average.

Aaron Judge was given the day off and Anthony Rizzo struck out three times in this one, but the Yankees found offense from other sources. Harrison Bader hit a two-run home run in the fifth that put New York on top 2-1. Then, Gleyber Torres went deep in the following inning to make it 3-1. An Anthony Volpe double in the seventh tacked on an extra insurance to run that made it 4-1, but that proved unnecessary.

Cincinnati’s only offensive production of the game came in the first inning when a Spencer Steer double down the right field line was overturned from a foul ball. Jonathan India came around to score on the strange to play to temporarily give the Reds a 1-0 lead.

Luis Severino was sharp in his season debut while being limited to 75 pitchers. However, it was the Yankees bullpen that dominated once again. This time around they went four and one-third innings allowing just two hits and no runs. It was a dazzling series in relief for that group. The Yankees finished off the series sweep with a 4-1 win on Sunday afternoon.