Cincinnati Reds Suffer Walk-Off Loss to White Sox on Mother’s Day

4. 128. . 3. 61

W: Robertson (3-0)

L: Chapman (1-1)

Another day, another bullpen failure for the Cincinnati Reds, though it wasn’t from the usual suspects this time.

Aroldis Chapman gave up his first earned run since last season on August 17 to give the Chicago White Sox a walk-off, 4-3 win on Sunday. The lefty retired the first two batters of the ninth, but then gave up three straight singles, the dagger being Gordon Beckham‘s game-winning single.

The loss was especially painful because the Reds had come back from a 3-1 deficit to tie the game in the ninth inning.

Facing White Sox closer David Robertson, who hadn’t given up a run yet this season, Devin Mesoraco and Brayan Pena led off the inning with back-to-back singles. A pair of pinch runners advanced on a passed ball and scored when Cozart continued his outstanding season by delivering a two-run double to tie the game at three. Cozart was left stranded at second, however, as the top of the order couldn’t bring him home.

Michael Lorenzen got the start in this game for the Reds. He wasn’t pitch efficient in this one, but was able to stay poised and work out of jams all day long. Lorenzen was finished after five innings having given up just one run on seven hits with four walks and two strikeouts.

The rookie’s only blemish came in the second inning, after giving up a two-out double and a walk followed by an RBI single from Emilio Bonifacio to make it a 1-0 game.

After Lorenzen’s solid performance, the bullpen let this one get away. Tony Cingrani‘s control problems haunted him in the seventh as he walked the first two batters of the inning on eight pitches before eventually giving up the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly by Alexei Ramirez to make it 2-1. Jumbo Diaz pitched the eighth and gave up a leadoff single followed by a sacrifice bunt, a wild pitch, and an RBI groundout to put the Reds in a bigger hole at 3-1.

Offensively, the Reds were quiet for most of the game despite facing a pitcher in John Danks who had a 6.20 ERA entering the game. The only run against Danks came in the top of the fourth when Mesoraco tied the game up at one, as he hit his first career triple off the center field wall to bring home Brandon Phillips.

Other Notes

As we noted yesterday, Marlon Byrd has shown a much-improved eye at the plate and that continued today. Byrd walked two more times, bringing his season total to 10, all coming in his last nine games.
Mesoraco’s RBI triple in the fourth was his first extra base hit and first RBI of the season, and his first hit since April 11 — also the last time he started a game at catcher. He also singled in the ninth to give him his first multi-hit game of the season.

Up Next: The Reds’ 10-game road trip comes to an end as they return to Great American Ball Park to face the Atlanta Braves. Mike Leake (2-1, 2.47 ERA), coming off of eight shutout innings in his last start, will face off against Shelby Miller (4-1, 1.66 ERA) for the Braves. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET.

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