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After failing to record a hit off of Game 1 starter Brad Keller, the Reds didn’t waste any time getting their first hit, a leadoff single by Joey Votto off of old friend Matt Harvey. It didn’t end up doing much, as Votto was left stranded on first. Harvey then retired eight of the next nine Reds batters, with just Mike Moustakas reaching via walk.
The second time through the order wasn’t as kind to Harvey, as Jesse Winker continued his assault on Major League pitching with a two-run homer in the third inning following a Nick Castellanos single, his sixth homer of the year. Eugenio Suárez followed with a much needed long ball of his own to center field, his third of the season and 150th of his career. Moustakas then drew another walk, but Harvey was able to get out of the inning without any more damage done before exiting the game.
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1⃣5⃣0⃣? pic.twitter.com/VwzeQmQBZV
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) August 20, 2020
Castellanos led off the fifth with a solo homer off Greg Holland, his ninth of the season. Curt Casali added a solo shot of his own in the sixth, his third of the season.
Suárez added another single, a walk, and a stolen base to go along with his home run. Votto and Shogo Akiyama each added a walk as well. Travis Jankowski stole a base after reaching on a fielder’s choice. All told, Reds hitters put up seven hits along with five walks against nine strikeouts.
On the mound, Trevor Bauer was absolutely dealing, going the distance while keeping the Royals off the scoreboard. Bauer got off to a strong start with a four-pitch first inning, retiring Whit Merrifield and Hunter Dozier on shallow fly balls to Castellanos with a Nicky Lopez bunt groundout sandwiched between.
Bauer struck out just one over the first two innings, before striking out the side in the third. That fourth strikeout was important as it was his 36th of the season, passing teammate Sonny Gray for the most strikeouts in Reds history through the first four starts of the season.
Trevor Bauer, 94mph Fastball and insta-K strut. pic.twitter.com/PNkQpyj1t6
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 20, 2020
Bauer got into a little trouble in the fourth, walking Whit Merrifield, who proceeded to steal both second base and third base, and Jorge Soler. He got out of the inning unscathed, retiring Ryan O’Hearn on a fly ball to right. The only other blemishes on Bauer’s night were a single by Adalberto Mondesi in the fifth, the lone hit for the Royals, and a seventh inning walk to Maikel Franco.
He went on to record a total of nine strikeouts against just the three walks and one hit through the full seven innings.
Most Valuable Player
- Trevor Bauer 0.31 WPA (win probability added)
- Jesse Winker 0.20 WPA
- Eugenio Suárez 0.08 WPA
Hardest-Hit Balls
- Eugenio Suárez 107.9 MPH | Home Run
- Nick Castellanos 107.8 MPH | Single
- Joey Votto 104.3 MPH | Single
Highest Velocities By Pitcher
- Trevor Bauer 96.6 MPH
Luckiest Hit of the Day
- Curt Casali 48% hit probability | Home Run
Unluckiest Out of the Day
- Freddy Galvis 85% hit probability | Lineout
What’s Next?
The Reds travel to St. Louis tomorrow to face the Cardinals in a four game set. First pitch tomorrow is at 8:15 EST and will feature a matchup of Sonny Gray and veteran Adam Wainwright. The Reds are quite familiar with Wainwright, having faced him 32 times through the years, including 27 starts.
[Featured Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jesse_Winker_(5663927)_(cropped).jpg]
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Suarez hitting the HR to CF and a line drive long single to right center field is a good sign of things to come for him.
The Reds really need his bat to come around. Especially if he’s going to keep batting at the top of the lineup.
Suarez had shoulder surgery on January 28 of this year. I wonder if he still feels the effects of surgery? Major league baseball is a rarefied atmosphere so even a top player not at 100 percent can struggle.