CINCINNATI — After a scorching June that included a stretch of winning six out of seven series, the Reds appeared to be limping toward the All-Star break in July. They opened the month with a rough road trip that featured series losses at Boston and Philadelphia before an incredibly lackluster two losses at home against the Marlins.
Just when it looked as if things might get away from them, the Reds instead produced the necessary response. Back-to-back wins were capped by a 6-0 victory over Miami on Thursday at Great American Ball Park to achieve a four-game series split.
“I thought it was really, really important,” said manager Terry Francona, who notched his 1,998th career win. “We worked so hard to kind of get where we were, and then to give it back — and now, we’ve got to push. We’ve got to really push. Then they’ll get a really well-deserved break.”
After the All-Star break, the July 31 Trade Deadline will be right around the corner. The club’s performance in the meantime could dictate whether it goes all in and tries to be buyers with additions or sellers by dealing players in contract years.
“We knew coming in it was a big homestand,” said Reds starting pitcher Nick Lodolo, who improved to 6-6 with a 3.38 ERA in 19 starts. “Definitely not the way we wanted to start the first two games. But good response.”
Lodolo provided six scoreless innings with three hits allowed (all singles), zero walks and four strikeouts. Combined with All-Star Andrew Abbott in Wednesday’s 7-2 win, the lefty duo provided 13 2/3 innings of one-run ball.
“That’s baseball. You have to be able to bounce back,” said first baseman Spencer Steer, who hit his 11th home run of the season. “Each day is its own day. We came out yesterday firing — bats were hot and Abbott gave us a great start.
“Then, kind of the same story today. A great start from Lodolo, and I thought we did a great job of keeping the line moving. And quality at-bats all over the place.”
As he completed a perfect first inning, Lodolo appeared to have an issue with his left index finger. It was concerning because he has dealt with blisters in the past, including going on the injured list last season.
It turned out to be a broken fingernail, and not a big deal.
“Nah, it’s good,” Lodolo said. “A little maintenance out there. It happened in the first inning, but I was good to go. It wasn’t the first time it happened this year.”
Lodolo gave up only one solid hit, an Eric Wagaman single scorched on the ground into left-center field to open the second inning. In the third, there was a two-out blooped single just missed by Steer in short right field. Heriberto Hernandez hit a single up the middle that second baseman Matt McLain stopped with a spectacular dive in the fifth, but his throw to first base was not in time.
Lodolo felt he had nearly all of his pitches in sequence working in harmony.
“Close,” he said. “I actually didn’t think my changeup today was as good as it’s been, but I was able to spin the ball and I was able to elevate it pretty well. I think the main thing was I fell behind a couple of guys with some guys on [base], but I was able to get back in the count and get some outs. It was good.”
Two-out hitting provided the Reds’ first run in the bottom of the opening frame. Elly De La Cruz hit a single into center field and stole second base ahead of Austin Hays driving him in with a single to center before he was thrown out trying to advance to second base. Steer’s one-out solo drive to left field off Cal Quantrill in the second inning made it a 2-0 game.
A four-run bottom of the sixth inning blew it open. With the bases loaded and no outs against Quantrill, De La Cruz lined an RBI single to right field. An error on a throw to home from Dane Myers enabled TJ Friedl to score as well. Hays followed with a two-run single to left field, with De La Cruz scoring the second run on a headfirst slide across the plate well ahead of a throw.