All the Reds needed was one misstep by the White Sox to pull out another comeback win
Authentic Harrison Smith Jersey , with Alex Blandino delivering the final hit.
Blandino’s double in the eighth inning completed Cincinnati’s four-run rally for a 5-3 victory Monday night. Chicago returned to Great American Ball Park for the first time since 2009 and let one slip away with the help of a misplay that changed everything.
”If we secure one out either way … ” White Sox manager Rick Renteria said.
The Reds loaded the bases with one out against Chris Volstad (1-5). Adam Duvall grounded to first baseman Matt Davidson, who was indecisive and wound up failing to get an out.
Davidson intended to step on first and then throw home. He took several steps toward the base and changed his plan, throwing to the plate without stepping on first – too late to get Scooter Gennett sprinting in to score.
”I kind of just rushed myself and made a mistake and didn’t touch the base and threw home,” Davidson said. ”I looked up and saw the runner and forgot about touching first. I just messed up there.”
Billy Hamilton followed with a sacrifice fly that tied it at 3, and Blandino’s pinch-hit double put the Reds in position for another comeback win. They’ve trailed in seven of their last 10 victories.
Blandino has learned to pinch-hit this season. He is 7 for 21 off the bench with four RBIs.
”Pinch-hitting is something I’ve been working on since spring training,” he said. ”This is my first time coming off the bench. You’re facing the back end of the bullpen. You just try to stay on their best pitch and battle.”
Dylan Floro (3-2) retired two in the eighth. Raisel Iglesias pitched the ninth for his 16th save in 18 chances.
Until Chicago’s bullpen melted down, James Shields was in position to get his first road win since opening day. Chicago has scored three runs or less behind him in 14 of his last 16 starts.
”We were the ballgame all the way up to the end there,” Shields said. ”Unfortunately, we made a couple mistakes there at the end.”
Scott Schebler connected on Shields’ first pitch of the game, but he allowed only three more hits while going 6 2/3 innings.
The White Sox pulled ahead 2-1 in the seventh when Yoan Moncada doubled home the tying run and came around on Yolmer Sanchez’s single. Avisail Garcia added his fifth homer in the eighth. Garcia extended his hitting streak to a career-high 12 games.
Chicago’s Jose Abreu went 0 for 3, ending his 19-game hitting streak in interleague play – one shy of Paul Konerko’s club record. Abreu fouled a ball off the inside of his left ankle in the sixth inning and left for a pinch hitter in the seventh.
INTERLEAGUE
The White Sox are 3-10 in interleague play this season. The Reds are 7-1 and have won six straight, their best streak in interleague play.
SERIES STUFF
The White Sox have dominated the series with the Reds, going 16-5. They’ve won 10 of the 13 games in Cincinnati.
RIGGLEMAN’S RECORD
The Reds improved to 34-33 under interim manager Jim Riggleman, who took over on April 19 when Bryan Price was fired after a 3-15 start.
ROAD WOES
Shields won Chicago’s season opener at Kansas City and hasn’t won on the road since then, largely because of the lack of run support. He’s 1-4 on the road this season.
REDS DEAL
The Reds acquired minor league outfielder Lorenzo Cedrola from the Red Sox in exchange for international signing bonus space.
TRAINER’S ROOM
White Sox: CF Leury Garcia was out of the lineup a day after he left a game with a jammed finger on his left hand. Renteria said Garcia was available to pinch-hit.
Reds: Homer Bailey makes his fourth rehab start for Triple-A Louisville on Tuesday. In three starts
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UP NEXT
White Sox: Lucas Giolito (5-7) is 2-3 with a 6.81 ERA in his last seven starts. He has allowed five runs or more three times.
Reds: Anthony DeSclafani (3-1) makes his sixth start since returning from a strained oblique. He has never faced the White Sox.
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Maikel Franco didn’t know he’d be in Philadelphia’s starting lineup until he arrived at Miller Park. The Milwaukee Brewers likely wish he’d been on the bench.
Franco homered and drove in four runs and the Phillies held off Milwaukee’s ninth-inning rally for a 10-9 victory.
”We didn’t tell him he was going to be starting,” Philadelphia manager Gabe Kapler said. ”He worked great at-bats. He punished pitchers when they made mistakes. (Franco) has shown an incredible attitude recently.”
Franco, who had been out of the lineup recently after struggling at the plate, said he comes prepared to play, even when his name isn’t on the lineup card.
”I can’t control that,” Franco said. ”I just try to be ready every single day.”
Rhys Hoskins and Odubel Herrera also homered as the Phillies took two of three from the Brewers, who are tied with Atlanta for the best record in the NL.
Milwaukee trailed 10-5 going into the ninth. Jesus Aguilar led off with a home run and Eric Thames hit his second homer of the game, a three-run shot with two outs off Hector Neris.
Christian Yelich followed with a deep drive to center field and Herrera made a leaping catch for the final out, giving Jake Thompson his second save.
”We thought he went deep, the way it looked off the bat,” Thames said. ”We were close to tying that game.”
Tommy Hunter (2-0) picked up the win with one inning of relief.
Hoskins hit a two-run homer in the first off starter Chase Anderson (5-6). Hoskins connected for the second straight day and his 10th of the season.
Thames had his first career leadoff home run, a drive into the right-field bullpen off Aaron Nola. Milwaukee tied it in the third on Lorenzo Cain’s RBI double before Philadelphia regained the lead in the fourth on Franco’s two-run homer.
Franco is 5 for 10 with three home runs in his career against Anderson.
The Brewers pulled even in the fifth on a run-scoring double by Travis Shaw, who then scored on Aguilar’s single that chased Nola.
Nola gave up four runs and seven hits in 4 1/3 innings.
Nick Williams drove in a pair of runs with a bases-loaded single off reliever Jeremy Jeffress in the sixth to give Philadelphia a 6-4 lead. Yelich had a sacrifice fly in the bottom half.
Franco’s bases-loaded single in the seventh drove in two more as the Phillies extended the lead to 8-5. Philadelphia added another run in the eighth on Scott Kingery’s RBI double.
Herrera hit a leadoff homer in the ninth to grow the lead to 10-5 before the Brewers rallied.
ROSTER MOVE
The Brewers optioned RHP Jorge Lopez to Triple-A Colorado Springs and recalled RHP Adrian Houser.
ARCIA BENCHED
Hernan Perez started at shortstop in place of struggling Orlando Arcia. ”He’s been swinging the bat pretty well,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said of Perez. Arcia, who is hitting .204
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NOLA’S STREAK ENDS
Nola failed to pitch at least five innings for the first time since May 31, 2017, snapping a streak that spanned 35 starts. ”My command wasn’t where it usually is,” Nola said. ”They hit me around a good bit. They were on me every inning.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Phillies: Williams was hit on the left elbow by a pitch in the fourth but remained in the game.
Brewers: Houser vomited behind the mound while warming up in the eighth. He stayed in the game and faced two batters before vomiting a second time. He again remained on the mound and faced three more hitters to finish the inning.
”I think it was a combination of traveling this morning and not having a lot of food in me. I was trying to stay hydrated in the bullpen. It’s pretty hot here compared to Colorado Springs. All combined, it got me.”
Houser’s willingness to stay in the game impressed Kapler.
”I have a lot of respect for anybody who would step behind the mound and throw up and step back on the mound and pitch,” he said. … LHP Wade Miley, sidelined since May 9 with a left oblique injury, threw a simulated game Sunday morning. He will begin a rehab assignment at Double-A Biloxi. … Zach Davies, on the DL with right rotator cuff inflammation, is expected to make a rehab start on Tuesday at Triple-A Colorado Springs.
UP NEXT
Phillies: Nick Pivetta (4-6) will pitch the opener of a three-game set against St. Louis.
Brewers: Jhoulys Chacin (6-1) takes the mound in the opener of a three-game series at Pittsburgh.