Late-inning problems which brought back bad memories of last year’s Cincinnati Reds team were a big factor in the home team’s 6-3 loss to the San Francisco Giants before 14,089 at Great American Ball Park.
| Final | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco Giants (2-1) | 6 | 7 | 0 |
| Cincinnati Reds (1-2) |
3 | 5 | 2 |
| W: Ray (1-0) L: N. Martinez (0-1) SV: Doval (1) |
|||
| Statcast | Box Score | Game Thread | |||
Trailing 4-3 after six innings, a combination of defensive and baserunning lapses turned what could have been a game tied at 4-4 after eight innings into a 6-3 loss. In the eighth inning, a throwing error by Elly De La Cruz on what clearly should have an easy out, and a missed tag by third baseman Jeimer Candelario on what should have been a caught-stealing led to two unearned San Francisco runs.
Then in the bottom of the eighth, with runners on second and third and one out, Santiago Espinal hit a slow roller to third. San Francisco’s Matt Chapman fielded the ball, tagged Jacob Hurtubise who ran from second base to third without a runner behind him forcing him to do so, and then completed the double play with a throw to first. Since the inning ended on a force-out, the run scored by Blake Dunn, who ran from third to home, did not count. Had Hurtubise stopped before Chapman could tag him, Dunn’s run would have counted as the Reds’ fourth of the game. And, De La Cruz would have batted next as the tying run.
The Reds TV broadcast indicated that the Reds have not won a series in which they lost the first game since mid-2023 against Baltimore, and that streak continued today. I’m no mathematician, but the chances of that happening over a streak of more than 200 games seems pretty slim. For overall series rubber games, the Reds have lost 17 of their past 21.
The Offense
For the game, Reds hitters batted 5-for-30 with two walks drawn and five strikeouts: two home runs and three singles.
Giants lefty Robbie Ray retired the first 15 Cincinnati batters he faced. But Gavin Lux hit the first sixth-inning pitch up the middle for a leadoff single to end that streak. After a brilliant defensive play by Chapman to take away a possible double from Dunn, catcher Austin Wynns unloaded on a 2-2 pitch, sending it into the left field seats to cut Cincinnati’s deficit at the time to 4-2. Matt McLain then continued his early-season power display with a no-doubter to left-center, his second of the series, to cut the Giants’ lead to 4-3. Espinal drew a four-pitch walk, and that was the end of the day for Ray.
Lefty Erik Miller entered to turn around De La Cruz to the righthanded batters box, but De La Cruz dropped a single into left to move Espinal, the tying run, to second base. Then Christian Encarnacion-Strand was jammed and grounded into a double play to end the sixth inning with the Reds down, 4-3.
Trailing 6-3 in the eighth, Dunn rolled a grounder into right for a leadoff single off Tyler Rogers, twin brother of Reds lefty Taylor Rogers. Pinch-hitter Jacob Hurtubise followed with a walk, bringing the tying run to the plate. McLain’s slow roller to the mound advanced the runners to second and third. Espinal followed with a slow roller to Chapman, who tagged Hurtubise heading to third and then threw to first to complete a double play. Hurtubise continuing to run to third while seeing Chapman in front of him with the ball was not a good base-running decision. Had he stopped short of Chapman or merely dropped to the ground, a double play would not have been possible, and Dunn would have scored.
The Pitching
The box score line for Reds pitchers: 9 innings, 7 hits allowed, 6 runs, 4 earned, 2 walks and 7 strikeouts.
Nick Martinez started the 2025 season just as effectively as he ended 2024. He needed only 45 pitches to get through the first four innings, in the process extending his streak over two seasons to 30 consecutive innings without allowing either a home run or a walk. The Reds TV broadcast indicated it is the first time that has happened for a Reds pitcher since 1940. But that streak was about to come to an end very shortly.
Martinez retired the first 13 San Francisco batters he faced over the first 4 1-3 innings, but the perfect game / no-hitter ended with one out in the top of the fifth when Heliot Ramos launched his second homer of the series, a solo shot into the left-field lower deck. Wilmer Flores, the next batter, drew a walk, but Martinez completed the inning without further damage. His pitch count reached 62 after five full innings.
In the sixth inning, Tyler Fitzgerald led off with a double, and Jung Hoo Lee did the same two outs later to score Fitzgerald. Then Chapman launched one to left to put the Giants up 4-0.
After his teammates scored three in the bottom of the sixth, Ian Gibaut came in to pitch a scoreless seventh and preserve the deficit at only one run.
Lefty Taylor Rogers’ regular-season Reds debut was scarred by the eighth-inning leadoff error by De La Cruz allowing Fitzgerald to reach. He went to second on a bunt, then stole third on what probably should have been an out, but third baseman Candelario appeared to miss the tag on Wynns’ throw, which beat Fitzgerald. Willy Adames scored Fitzgerald on a sacrifice fly to center to increase the Giants’ lead to 5-3.
After an infield hit by Lee, righty Scott Barlow entered and walked Chapman on four pitches. Ramos then continued his Willie Mays impersonation with a run-scoring single to left to make it 6-3. Both runs San Francisco scored in the inning were unearned.
Brent Suter pitched a scoreless ninth.
One Fan’s Thoughts
I firmly believe this Reds team is better than last year’s team, but they absolutely are not good enough to overcome fielding and baserunning errors like the ones that occurred today. They’re not going to win very many high-scoring games because the batting order doesn’t have top-to-bottom pop. But games like all three in this series are the ones this team has to win, and they had chances to win or tie late in the two games they lost in the series.
A half-century of watching sports has taught me that playmakers win games for teams. San Francisco had more people make difference-making plays in this series.
Baserunning miscues was one of the primary issues new Manager Terry Francona needed to address with this team, and Hurtubise’s was one based on just not knowing the situation and the right decision to make in that situation. I just wonder how baseball-smart some of these players are. It may be the biggest task Francona faces.
Up Next for the Cincinnati Reds
Texas Rangers at Cincinnati Reds
Monday, March 31, 6:40 p.m. ET
Kumar Rocker vs. Brady Singer
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