The series in Houston did not get out to a great start for Cincinnati as they were shut out, managing just four hits on the night. The Astros 3-0 win was the first victory against the Reds since 2016.
| Final | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Reds (19-21) | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| Houston Astros (19-18) | 3 | 12 | 0 |
| W: Brown (6-1) L: Martinez (1-4) SV: Harder (9) | |||
| Statcast | Box Score | Game Thread | |||
Nick Martinez gave up two singles in the 1st inning but was able to avoid any damage. The same thing couldn’t be said in the bottom of the second. Christian Walker doubled to begin the frame and then he came in to score on a single by Zach Dezenzo that put the Astros up 1-0.
That’s where the score remained until the bottom of the 5th inning. Houston would play add on with the inning starting with a double by Brendan Rodgers. He’d move up to third on a single and then score on a ground out to make it 2-0. Isaac Paredes came through with a 2-out, RBI double to bring in another run and put the Astros up by three runs.
After a scoreless 6th inning the Reds called down to the bullpen to bring in Brent Suter after Nick Martinez had a quality start. He worked around an error in the 7th inning and headed back to the mound for the bottom of the 8th. Things weren’t as easy this time around as he gave up back-to-back 1-out singles and then walked Zach Dezenso to load the bases. After striking out Brendan Rodgers, Suter almost had his head taken off by a comebacker by Mauricio Dubon. Matt McLain was able to make a play on the ball and get the final out of the inning to strand the bases loaded.
Cincinnati, who had just three hits through the first eight innings of the game, headed to the top of the 9th having to face Josh Hader. Tyler Stephenson lined a double into the gap in left-center with one out to try and get a rally going but Hader struck out the next two batters to end the game and pick up a save in the Astros 3-0 win.
Key Moment of the Game
The Astros 2-run 5th inning. With Cincinnati’s offense struggling turning a 1-run game into a 3-run game put far more pressure on them.
Notes Worth Noting
Houston beat the Reds for the first time in their last 10 games.
Brent Suter’s shutout performance lowered his ERA on the season to 2.29.
Reds batters struck out 15 times in the game and every hitter in the lineup accounted for at least one strikeout.
Up Next for the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds vs Houston Astros
Saturday, May 10th, 7:10pm ET
Brady Singer (4-2, 3.66 ERA) vs Lance McCullers Jr. (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
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