Reds use two eighth-inning wild pitches to edge Athletics 5-4

Cincinnati erases deficit

Cincinnati spent much of Tuesday playing from behind, then used two Hogan Harris wild pitches in the eighth inning to beat the Athletics 5-4 at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio.

De La Cruz drove in two runs and scored twice for the Reds, who finished the game without a home run. He also was charged with the throwing error on the Athletics’ go-ahead run in the seventh, but he scored the tying run in the eighth before Cincinnati moved in front for the final margin. Attendance was 21,714.

Athletics build early cushion

The Athletics went ahead in the top of the fourth when McNeil singled to right, scoring Soderstrom for a 1-0 lead. In the top of the fifth, Wilson doubled to left, bringing in Butler and Walton to make it 3-0.

Cincinnati answered in the bottom of the fifth. De La Cruz singled to left, scoring Rodríguez and McLain, with De La Cruz advancing to second on the play. Stewart followed with a sacrifice fly to right that scored De La Cruz and tied the game 3-3.

Wild pitches decide it

The Athletics moved back in front in the top of the seventh. Bolte scored when Butler was safe at first on a throwing error by shortstop De La Cruz, giving the Athletics a 4-3 lead.

Cincinnati pulled even in the bottom of the eighth when De La Cruz scored on a Harris wild pitch, with Stewart moving to third. Suárez then walked, and Stewart scored on another Harris wild pitch for a 5-4 Reds lead.

Harris took the loss, allowing two earned runs with three walks and one strikeout in 0.2 innings. Brady Basso was credited with his second hold after 1.0 inning with no hits, no earned runs, no walks and no strikeouts. Elvis Alvarado recorded one strikeout in 0.1 innings without allowing a hit, an earned run or a walk.

Pitching and records

Brady Singer allowed five hits and three earned runs in 6.0 innings for Cincinnati, walking three and striking out six. J.T. Ginn allowed five hits and three earned runs in 6.0 innings for the Athletics, with two walks and five strikeouts.

Sam Moll, Julian Garcia and Emilio Pagan combined to allow no earned runs and no walks in 3.0 innings for Cincinnati. Garcia earned the win, improving to 2-2, after 1.0 inning with no hits and two strikeouts. Pagan allowed two hits and struck out one in 1.0 inning for his 12th save.

The Reds improved to 54-58. The Athletics fell to 45-68.

Sources

https://www.espn.com/mlb/game/_/gameId/401816385