The Boston Red Sox and Cincinnati Reds wrapped up their three-game series today at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, OH. Connelly Early got the ball for the Red Sox, while Rhett Lowder got the ball for the Reds.
Boston Red Sox Starting Lineup
DH – Roman Anthony
SS – Trevor Story
CF – Jarren Duran
1B – Willson Contreras
RF – Wilyer Abreu
3B – Caleb Durbin
LF – Masataka Yoshida
2B – Marcelo Mayer
C – Connor Wong
LHP – Connelly Early
Cincinnati Reds Starting Lineup
LF – TJ Friedl
2B – Matt McLain
SS – Elly De La Cruz
DH – Sal Stewart
3B – Eugenio Suarez
1B – Spencer Steer
CF – Dane Myers
C – Tyler Stephenson
RF – Noelvi Marte
RHP – Rhett Lowder
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Red Sox vs. Reds
First Three
The Red Sox went down 1-2-3 in the first. In the bottom half, the Reds got a leadoff single from TJ Friedl before back-to-back outs. Then Sal Stewart walked when Connelly Early struck out Eugenio Suarez to end the first. Both teams went down 1-2-3 in the second. In the top of the third, Masataka Yoshida, in his first game of the season, walked. Marcelo Mayer lined out, then Connor Wong singled. The Red Sox couldn’t get anything going as the next two batters were retired. In the bottom half after a two-out walk by Matt McLain, Early struck out Elly De La Cruz to end the inning.
Middle Three
The Red Sox got the scoring started in the top of the fourth, after a Jarren Duran flyout. Willson Contreras singled, and for the second day in a row, Wilyer Abreu hit a home run, this one a two-run shot. That made it 2-0 Red Sox. The Reds were threatening in the bottom half of the inning with runners on first and third. Contreras made a beautiful stop and got the out on first before throwing to second to get the double-play. The Red Sox went down 1-2-3 in the fifth. Early continued to look good in the fifth. He started the inning with a strikeout of Tyler Stephenson, then he got the next two batters to ground out.
In the sixth, Brock Burke replaced Rhett Lowder, who went five innings, allowing two runs on three hits; he walked two and struck out five. Burke allowed a leadoff walk to Duran, but Willson Contreras grounded into a double play. Wilyer Abreu hit a two-out double before Caleb Durbin ended the inning with a groundout. In the bottom half of the inning, Early allowed a single, then struck out De La Cruz, and that would end his day. He went 5.1 innings, allowing a run on five hits; he walked two and struck out six. Greg Weissert replaced Early. The one run Early allowed came a few batters later, after Weisster walked Sal Stewart, Eugenio Suarez hit a three-home run to give the Reds a 3-2 lead. Weissert got a strikeout and a flyout to end the inning.
Last Three
Yoshida grounded out to start the seventh, and that would end Burke’s day as he went 1.1 innings, allowing a hit and walking one. Pierce Johnson replaced Burke. He got the first out, which was Andruw Monasterio, who was pinch-hitting for Mayer, but then Connor Wong hit a two-out double before Johnson got the last out. Monasterio remained in the game at second base. Jovani Moran replaced Weissert. He got the Reds to go down 1-2-3. Tony Santillan replaced Johnson. He got Trevor Story to strike out, then allowed Duran to walk, but ended up picking him off. Santillan walked Contreras, then got Durbin to strike out. Moran was back out for the bottom of the eighth and got McLain to ground and De La Cruz to strikeout. Then Stewart doubled, and Suarez walked. Ke’Bryan Hayes replaced Suarez as a pinch-runner. Spencer Steer ended the inning with a flyout.
In the ninth, Hayes remained in the game, and Emilio Pagan came in for the second straight with a save situation. He got Yoshida to fly out, then Monasterio doubled. Ceddanne Rafaela came in as a pinch-hitter and flew out with Roman Anthony coming up, and after he went up 3-0, the Reds put him on with an intentional walk. Trevor Story on the first pitch flew out to center field.
Player of the Game
Eugenio Suarez could be the case with him having the big hit but Wilyer Abreu gets the honors after he went 3-4 with a home run, a double, two RBI, and a run scored.
Next Up:
The Red Sox return tomorrow as they’ll face the Houston Astros. Ranger Suarez will make his Red Sox debut. First pitch is at 8:10 PM EST. The Reds welcome the Pittsburgh Pirates tomorrow night with Chase Burns getting the ball. That one will start at 6:40 PM EST.
