Reds resoundingly rout Rockies to reach .500

After flirting with a .500 record for the better part of the last month-and-a-half, the Reds have finally reached the winning-record threshold once again.

The Reds secured a series win on Saturday with another convincing victory over the lowly Rockies, who are now a historically dreadful 5-26 on the road this season. The Cincinnati offense got rolling early and kept the pressure on Rockies pitchers, while Wade Miley turned in another solid outing en route to a 10-4 win.

If the Cardinals lose to the Cubs this evening, the Reds could find themselves tied for third place in the NL Central.

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Offense

The Rockies pitching guarantee: get double-digit runs or your money back.

Germán Márquez bore the brunt of the Reds’ attack on Saturday, allowing nine runs (eight earned), 12 hits, and two walks in 5+ innings. The Reds picked up 14 hits and four walks in total, scoring all 10 runs without a single home run. It’s the first time the Reds have scored 10+ runs in a game without the aid of a home run since a 10-4 win over the Brewers on April 16, 2018. The legendary Phil Gosselin started that game for the Reds.

The Reds quickly jumped over Márquez in the first inning. Jonathan India walked to get things started and scored from first on a double by Nick Castellanos. A single by Tyler Naquin moved Castellanos to third, and a two-out base hit by Eugenio Suárez made it 2-0.

The top of the lineup did more damage in the third. Castellanos led off with a bloop single and advanced to third on a single by Naquin. Left fielder Connor Joe foolishly tried to throw Castellanos out at third base, allowing Naquin to move up to second. The mistake was costly, as Joey Votto came through with a two-run single to put the Reds back on top, 4-3. It was the 1,935th hit of Votto’s career, passing Tony Pérez for fifth on the Reds’ all-time list.

With two outs in the fifth inning, the Reds mounted another rally to extend the lead. Votto lined a single to right field, and Suárez followed by grounding a ball to the right side of the infield through the shift. Tucker Barnhart then smoked an opposite-field double to plate two more runs. The two-out magic wasn’t done, though, as Kyle Farmer hit a bloop single to right field. Barnhart touched home just before Farmer was thrown out at second base to make it 7-3.

The bats were at it again in the sixth. Wade Miley — who also had two 100+ mph singles on the day — drew a walk to start the frame. India hit a ground ball back to Márquez, who proceeded to throw the ball into center field. Jesse Winker was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and Naquin roped a two-run single to right field to make it 9-3.

Another two-out rally plated an additional run in the seventh inning. Pinch-hitter Scott Heineman drew a walk and scored on a 377-foot double off the right-field wall by India.

Pitching

Wade Miley backed up his big day at the plate with a solid start on the mound. The southpaw threw seven innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits and a walk. He struck out three and set a season high with 13 swings and misses.

Early on, right-handed Rockies hitters were turning on Miley’s cutter inside and picked up a few hits against it. He gave up three batted balls at 100+ mph in the second inning, when all three Rockies runs scored. Here were the hits against him in the second:

Defense didn’t help Miley, however. After a leadoff single by Yonathan Daza, Josh Fuentes hit a routine grounder to Suárez at third base, but the ball rolled right under his glove and into the left field corner. Instead of a double play, the Rockies ended up with a run. A single and a double later, and the Rockies suddenly had a 3-2 lead. Fortunately, the Reds’ deficit wouldn’t last long and Miley locked the Rockies down the rest of the way.

Miley adjusted as the game went on and started to pitch more on the outside of the plate with his changeup to keep hitters off balance. It was effective, as Miley allowed only one hard-hit ball the rest of the game and cruised through seven innings behind the offensive outburst.

Brad Brach threw a scoreless eighth inning, issuing a walk and striking out two hitters. Brach got whiffs on five of the 10 swings against him.

The scuffling Sean Doolittle got mop-up duty in the ninth inning. He gave up a leadoff double to Daza before getting three consecutive fly-outs to end it. He threw nothing but fastballs and didn’t get a single swing and miss.

Stats

Most Valuable Players

• Tyler Naquin: .168 WPA (Win Probability Added)
• Eugenio Suárez: .146 WPA
• Nick Castellanos: .121 WPA

Hardest-Hit Balls

• Tyler Naquin: 109.5 mph | Single in 1st inning
• Tyler Naquin: 108.4 mph | Groundout in 8th inning
• Wade Miley: 103.1 mph | Single in 4th inning
• Wade Miley: 100.3 mph | Single in 2nd inning
• Joey Votto: 99.1 mph | Single in 5th inning
• Joey Votto: 99.1 mph | Pop-out in 6th inning

Unluckiest Out of the Day

• Tyler Naquin: .500 xBA | Groundout in 8th inning

Highest Velocities By Pitcher

• Wade Miley: 92.8 mph
• Brad Brach: 94.8 mph
• Sean Doolittle: 94.1 mph

Highest Pitch Spins

• Wade Miley: 2,389 rpm | Four-seam fastball

Most Pitch Movement

• Wade Miley: 64 inches vertical movement | Curveball
• Brad Brach: 18 inches horizontal movement | Changeup

Team Expected Batting Averages (xBA)

• Rockies: .258
• Reds: .300

What’s Next?

The Reds and Rockies will conclude their three-game series tomorrow. Tony Santillan will make his MLB debut for the Reds, facing off against Antonio Senzatela. Get prepared for tomorrow by reading our scouting report on Santillan.

Featured Photo: Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire

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