The Cincinnati Reds put that concept to the supreme test Saturday night before holding off the Houston Astros, 13-9.
The Reds scored 10 runs in the first inning on five hits, five walks and a hit batsman, all sandwiched around a three-run home run by Elly De La Cruz.
The Astros scored a run in the bottom of the first before Matt McLain hit a two-run homer in the top of the third to give Brady Singer a 12-1 lead.
And he nearly gave it all back and couldn’t survive the bottom of the third.
He gave up six runs and six hits and after three innings it was 12-7, forcing manager Tito Francona to nearly empty his bullpen to preserve a much-needed victory.
Six relief pitchers were needed to stave off the Astros. Lyon Richardson, Scott Barlow, Graham Ashcraft, Luis Mey, Tony Santillan and Emilio Pagan held the Astros to two runs over the final 6⅔ innings.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
But it wasn’t easy. The Astros put two runners on base in the fourth, fifth and six innings and only squeezed one run out of it.
The Astros outhit the Reds, 14-12, but Houston’s pitchers issued nine walks and six scored.
“I kind of felt like I was being at the dentist, like everything came out OK, but it really wasn’t that fun,” said Francona.
All the fun was in the first inning for the Reds, but absolutely no fun for Houston’s Lance McCullers Jr., making his first start in Houston in 950 days due to injuries and surgeries.
And it showed.
The first inning:
TJ Friedl walked on a full count. Matt McLain was hit by a pitch on a full count. De La Cruz homered the opposite way into the cozy left field Crawford Boxes 354 feet away and it was 3-0.
Gavin Lux grounded out and Santiago Espinal walked on full count as did Spencer Steer. McCullers went to full counts on four of the first six Reds and all reached base and all scored.
Tyler Stephenson singled for a run and Will Benson, recalled from Triple-A Louisville just before the game, doubled for another run, ending McCullers’ brief stay.
Relief pitcher Logan VanWey walked Connor Joe on a full count, Joe’s first at bat with the Reds after he was acquired from San Diego Friday night.
Friedl singled for a run and McLain walked. A run scored when De La Cruz grounded out, his fourth RBI of the inning. Lux singled for two more runs.
Ten runs, five hits, five walks and a hit batter.
Before it all ended, Friedl was on base five times and scored three runs, two in the first. McLain was on base his first four times and scored three runs, two in the first.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
The Reds were able to score only one more after McLain’s third-inning home run, a run-scoring single by Joe in the sixth inning.
“I was so glad that we were just even able to tack on one run later, just because they were coming after us,” said Francona.
“We were into our bullpen so early... not as early as them, but just about,” he said.
Of Friedl’s big game during which he spent all night running around the bases, Francona said, “That’s not going to happen every night, but when he’s on base, it makes everybody better.”
And he loved De La Cruz’s chip-shot opposite field home run and said, “Seeing him go the other way and get rewarded for it was huge.”
While De La Cruz’s home run was a wall-scraper, McLain’s put a dent in the facade behind the Crawford Boxes, 393 feet away.
De La Cruz’s home run was his first since April 20 and McClain’s homer was only his second extra base hit in the 23 games since he came off the injured list.
They call De La Cruz and McLain Batman & Robin and about his homer after Elly’s, McLain smiled and said, “I just follow him.”
McLain’s homer drew Francona’s attention more than his hit by pitch and walk in the first inning that enabled him to score twice.
Friedl and McClain were both on base twice in the first inning and both scored twice.
“Seeing McLain jump on one... there was a lot of good things that happened for us,” said Francona. “We just had to keep fighting because we let ‘em back in the game.”
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
The 10-run first wasn’t Cincinnati’s biggest first-inning uprising.
On August 3, 1989, also against the Astros, the Reds set a record by scoring 14 first-inning runs and set a record with 16 first-inning hits. And there was also a three-run homer, just like Elly De La Cruz. Ken Griffey Sr. hit a three-run homer.
Said catcher Jeff Reed, “It was like the ball had eyes, 20/20 eyes. Everybody’s ball was falling in. Everybody was gathered around the bat rack wanting to hit.”
That Reds team had a fun, fun night, winning 18-2.
This one was not so much fun after the first inning. The Astros kept putting on the pressure.
NEXT GAME
Who: Cincinnati at Houston
When: 2:10 p.m., Sunday, May 11
TV: FanDuel Sports
Radio: 1410-AM
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