Garza, Bailey duel; Brewers top Reds, 1-0
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
CINCINNATI — On Saturday, fans at Great American Ball Park witnessed two great pitching performances where Cincinnati's Homer Bailey and Milwaukee's Matt Garza went pitch-for-pitch, but it was Garza who left GABP by holding the Cincinnati Reds to just two hits and gaining the win, 1-0.
Garza (6-5), who is familiar with the Reds from when he played in the NL Central for the Chicago Cubs, pitched a complete game shutout, allowing no runs and just two hits. He walked two and struck out nine. Garza threw 111 pitches, 70 for strikes.
The Reds (44-42) had one final opportunity in the ninth to tie the score or win the game with the top of the order at the plate. Billy Hamilton led off the inning by flying out to right field, followed by Todd Frazier flying out to deep centerfield on the first pitch of the at-bat.
Joey Votto struck out to end the game. The top of the Reds' batting order went a combined 0-for-12 with five strikeouts.
For the Reds, Bailey pitched eight strong innings, allowing one earned run on seven hits and four walks. He struck out eight, finishing the game with 114 pitches, 78 for strikes. Bailey gained his 800th career strikeout against Scooter Gennett in the top of the first inning.
[[In-content Ad]]Bailey started off strong in the top of the first by striking out the first two Milwaukee batters, then Jonathan Lucroy kept the inning going with a double to left field, followed by Carlos Gomez forcing a walk on a full count. Scoring from second was Lucroy on the next at-bat when Aramis Ramirez sent the ball to left field on a two-out single for the 1-0 lead.
Ramirez finished 2-for-4, and Lucroy was 1-for-3 with a walk.
Milwaukee moves to 52-36 on the season, increasing their lead on the Reds in the NL Central to seven games.
The Reds didn't gain their first hit, breaking up a perfect game by Garza, until the top of the first when Brandon Phillips led off with a single to centerfield. Before that hit, Garza retired the first 12 batters he faced, striking out three.
Of those first 12 outs, six were by flyouts. Phillips finished 1-for-2 with one walk.
The hit by Phillips later turned into an unassisted double play by Mark Reynolds at first base, as he caught a line drive hit by Votto and tagged Phillips, who was off the base at first. Devin Mesoraco was called out on strikes in the next at-bat, keeping Garza facing the minimum through five innings.
In the top of the second, Garza had a two-out broken bat single to right field, but he was left stranded as Gennett grounded out to the pitcher for the third out. In the third for the Brewers, Gomez had a two-out double to left field, but like the inning before with Garza, Gomez was left standing on the bases.
Cincinnati's defense came to the rescue in the top of the sixth with Jay Bruce throwing the ball to shortstop Zack Cozart, who relayed the ball to Mesoraco to tag out Ramirez in a play at the plate to end the inning, saving a run.
With one out in the bottom of the sixth, Cozart hit a double to the corner of the left field wall for the Reds' second hit of the game, but Garza rallied back with two consecutive strikeouts to end the inning. That turned out to be the final hit of the game for the Reds. Cozart finished 1-for-3.
The Reds had another relay play to home in the top of the seventh with Bruce rocketing the ball from right field to Phillips to Mesoraco at the plate, tagging out Gennett to end the inning and save yet another run.
NOTES: Cincinnati played excellent defense in the top of the fourth with a 5-4-3 double play … Former NL MVP Ryan Braun left the game in the bottom of the second inning with lower back spasms … the Brewers finished with four doubles … the Reds left three on base and the Brewers left seven.
Garza (6-5), who is familiar with the Reds from when he played in the NL Central for the Chicago Cubs, pitched a complete game shutout, allowing no runs and just two hits. He walked two and struck out nine. Garza threw 111 pitches, 70 for strikes.
The Reds (44-42) had one final opportunity in the ninth to tie the score or win the game with the top of the order at the plate. Billy Hamilton led off the inning by flying out to right field, followed by Todd Frazier flying out to deep centerfield on the first pitch of the at-bat.
Joey Votto struck out to end the game. The top of the Reds' batting order went a combined 0-for-12 with five strikeouts.
For the Reds, Bailey pitched eight strong innings, allowing one earned run on seven hits and four walks. He struck out eight, finishing the game with 114 pitches, 78 for strikes. Bailey gained his 800th career strikeout against Scooter Gennett in the top of the first inning.
[[In-content Ad]]Bailey started off strong in the top of the first by striking out the first two Milwaukee batters, then Jonathan Lucroy kept the inning going with a double to left field, followed by Carlos Gomez forcing a walk on a full count. Scoring from second was Lucroy on the next at-bat when Aramis Ramirez sent the ball to left field on a two-out single for the 1-0 lead.
Ramirez finished 2-for-4, and Lucroy was 1-for-3 with a walk.
Milwaukee moves to 52-36 on the season, increasing their lead on the Reds in the NL Central to seven games.
The Reds didn't gain their first hit, breaking up a perfect game by Garza, until the top of the first when Brandon Phillips led off with a single to centerfield. Before that hit, Garza retired the first 12 batters he faced, striking out three.
Of those first 12 outs, six were by flyouts. Phillips finished 1-for-2 with one walk.
The hit by Phillips later turned into an unassisted double play by Mark Reynolds at first base, as he caught a line drive hit by Votto and tagged Phillips, who was off the base at first. Devin Mesoraco was called out on strikes in the next at-bat, keeping Garza facing the minimum through five innings.
In the top of the second, Garza had a two-out broken bat single to right field, but he was left stranded as Gennett grounded out to the pitcher for the third out. In the third for the Brewers, Gomez had a two-out double to left field, but like the inning before with Garza, Gomez was left standing on the bases.
Cincinnati's defense came to the rescue in the top of the sixth with Jay Bruce throwing the ball to shortstop Zack Cozart, who relayed the ball to Mesoraco to tag out Ramirez in a play at the plate to end the inning, saving a run.
With one out in the bottom of the sixth, Cozart hit a double to the corner of the left field wall for the Reds' second hit of the game, but Garza rallied back with two consecutive strikeouts to end the inning. That turned out to be the final hit of the game for the Reds. Cozart finished 1-for-3.
The Reds had another relay play to home in the top of the seventh with Bruce rocketing the ball from right field to Phillips to Mesoraco at the plate, tagging out Gennett to end the inning and save yet another run.
NOTES: Cincinnati played excellent defense in the top of the fourth with a 5-4-3 double play … Former NL MVP Ryan Braun left the game in the bottom of the second inning with lower back spasms … the Brewers finished with four doubles … the Reds left three on base and the Brewers left seven.