The Cincinnati Reds returned to the victory column on Saturday, marking what is officially their last home game of spring training. Crucially, they managed to maintain good health as they secured a win against the Colorado Rockies.
Game Recap: Reds 6 – Rockies 2
On Saturday afternoon, the Cincinnati Reds seized an early lead. Frankie Montas delivered five solid innings, and the offense expanded their lead by hitting four home runs before the bullpen took over, effectively shutting down the Rockies in the final four innings.
The Highlights
In the 1st inning, the Cincinnati Reds didn’t showcase strong defense. Tyler Stephenson had a pop-up bounce off his glove, though Frankie Montas managed to secure a fly out on the next pitch, minimizing the damage. However, the following batter hit a fly ball to right field, where Jake Fraley initially retreated before misjudging the play upon moving forward, resulting in a misplay and allowing the ball to pass him, resulting in a triple that should have been a routine catch. Montas responded with two consecutive strikeouts to leave the runner stranded.
Moving to the bottom of the 2nd inning, the Reds got on the scoreboard early as Jake Fraley crushed a solo home run into the right field stands on the third pitch of the inning.
Hello, Rake Fraley! 👋 pic.twitter.com/m00Ig6btSx
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) March 23, 2024
Cincinnati continued to build on their lead in the subsequent innings. Singles from Jeimer Candelario, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, and newcomer Santiago Espinal in the same inning pushed the score to 2-0. Two innings later, Jeimer Candelario contributed with his first spring homer, adding another run for the Reds.
However, in the top of the 5th inning, the Rockies managed to break through against starter Frankie Montas. Following a leadoff single, Alan Trejo smashed a 2-run homer, narrowing the Reds’ lead to 3-2. Despite this, those were the only runs Montas allowed during his 5.0 innings pitched, where he also recorded six strikeouts.
Cincinnati quickly responded in the bottom of the 5th inning, reclaiming the two runs they had surrendered. After Will Benson earned a 1-out walk, Elly De La Cruz launched an opposite-field home run, extending the lead to 5-2. Spencer Steer then followed suit with a solo home run of his own, adding another run to widen the gap.
Elly De La Cruz looks ready for the season as he launches a home run to left!
⚡⚡#RedsST pic.twitter.com/ySDOtVeDTg
— Bally Sports Cincinnati (@BallySportsCIN) March 23, 2024
The scoring concluded after those runs were added. Tony Santillan, Justin Wilson, Lucas Sims, and Alexis Diaz each pitched an inning of shutout baseball, effectively closing the game and securing the victory for Cincinnati.
Jeimer Candelario had an impressive performance, going 3-3 at the plate. Christian Encarnacion-Strand also had a strong showing, going 2-2 with two walks. In the 6th inning, Tony Santillan struck out three batters, bringing his total strikeouts to 13 in his 7.0 innings pitched without allowing an earned run this spring.
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