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Win: Homer Bailey (2-2)
Loss: Jim Henderson (2-1)
HR: Tucker Barnhart (1), Todd Frazier (5), Brayan Pena (2)
Welcome to Great American Ballpark! Normally, I'm not a big worrier about the whole ballpark effect thing, but there are a few stadiums across the league that are troubling. Among them is GAB. If you plan on going in with flyball pitchers, be prepared to walk out having given up a few home runs.
So it went for the Brewers tonight. Marco Estrada started the game, and considering his home run issues the past few seasons, I'm not sure we could have expected him to leave without surrendering at least one long ball. Turns out, he ended up allowing two to the Reds.
Neither was particularly well hit (gifs later!), but they ended up clearing the wall. The first was a solo shot to Tucker Barnhart in the fifth inning, the first of the catcher's career. I looked that up just to be sure, and couldn't figure out why his page wasn't coming up. That's when I realized I was googling Tyler Newhart. That's how notable Tucker Barnhart is.
The second homer came an inning later off the bat of Todd Frazier. That one was a two run homer that put the Reds up 3-1. The Brewers had scored earlier in the game on a Jean Segura RBI single. Estrada's final line: 6 innings pitched, 3 ER on two homers. He struck out six, but his control was unusually off and he also walked four.
Estrada did manage to escape with a no-decision, though. In the top of the seventh, the Brewers put two on the board to tie the game. After Khris Davis and Mark Reynolds both made outs to start the inning, Jean Segura and Rickie Weeks (pinch-hitting for Estrada) put up back to back singles to put runners on first and second. Carlos Gomez then doubled, bringing in both runs before Scooter Gennett grounded out to end the inning.
Brandon Kintzler pitched the seventh and escaped a bases loaded jam to preserve the tie. Then it was Jim Henderson time and that just did not go well. At all.
The bottom of the second started with a single and a sacrifice bunt that would make Ron Roenicke proud. Small ball wasn't really necessary, though, when Brayan Pena followed up with a two-run homer to give Cincinnati the lead. But wait, there's more! The next few batters went as follows:
Single
Double
Strikeout
Intentional Walk
(Rob Wooten replaces Henderson)
Bases loaded Walk
Single
HBP
Ground out to end the inning
When all was said and done, it was 8-3 Reds. The Brewers did not come back.
On the plus side, Jean Segura returned to the lineup and went 2-4 with a run and an RBI. Carlos Gomez also robbed Joey Votto of a home run, again. (Did I mention I'd have gifs up later?)
The two teams will toe the line again tomorrow at 6:10 CT. Wily Peralta will start against Mike Leake. Wily Peralta already has a 20% HR/FB percentage. Oh geez.
