The Reds fell to the Guardians 11-2 on June 11, as a Carlos Santana grand slam off Nick Lodolo snapped Cincinnati's five-game winning streak. Recap inside.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
Well, all good things must come to an end. The Cincinnati Reds' five-game heater was extinguished in brutal fashion Wednesday night, as the Cleveland Guardians rolled to an 11-2 victory. A third-inning grand slam by former Red Carlos Santana off a struggling Nick Lodolo blew the game open, and the offense couldn't muster enough to climb back.
A 97 mph fastball to the helmet couldn't keep Christian Encarnacion-Strand down, as the first baseman thankfully remained in the game after the scary ninth-inning incident.
Nick Lodolo, who has been a reliable arm for the Reds, simply didn't have it tonight. The trouble began in the first with an RBI double from José Ramírez, but the real damage came in the third. Lodolo loaded the bases before facing Carlos Santana, who crushed a pitch for his sixth career grand slam, burying the Reds in a 5-0 hole. Lodolo's night ended after just 3 1/3 innings, charged with six earned runs in a performance he'll want to forget. Cleveland piled on later with a three-run homer from Lane Thomas, turning the game into a certified blowout.
In a game with few positives, the long ball provided a couple of fleeting moments of excitement. Elly De La Cruz and TJ Friedl both launched solo home runs, accounting for all of Cincinnati's offense. The most heart-stopping moment came in the ninth when Christian Encarnacion-Strand, in his first game back from the IL, was struck on the bill of his helmet by a 97 mph fastball from Emmanuel Clase. In a testament to his toughness, CES shook it off and remained in the game, a huge relief for a team that just got him back.
While the big league club struggled, there were some notable performances in the minors on Tuesday. In Louisville, outfielder Jacob Hurtubise had a perfect night, going 3-for-3 with three doubles. Down in Double-A Chattanooga, Jay Allen II showed off his speed with a triple and a stolen base. And on the mound, reliever Zach Maxwell continued his dominant run, extending his scoreless appearance streak to 11 games. It's a good reminder of the talent pipeline working its way toward Cincinnati.
One lopsided loss doesn't erase a five-game winning streak. Tonight was a clunker, plain and simple. Lodolo had an off night, and the Guardians' bats made him pay. The key now is to flush it and come back tomorrow ready to earn a series split in the 'Ohio Cup.' The team showed resilience and firepower during their recent run, and they'll need to tap back into that to get back in the win column.
