Cincinnati Reds: Schebler caps off another late rally against Phillies

Book your World Series tickets: the Cincinnati Reds are still undefeated.

For the second time in as many games, the Reds faced at late 2-1 deficit at the hands of the Philadelphia Phillies. For the second time in as many games, the Reds walked away winners.

Unable to crack starter Aaron Nola (7 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 8 K) all night, the Reds once again took it to the Phillies bullpen, scoring two runs in the bottom of the ninth off of closer Dalier Hinojosa for a thrilling walk-off victory on Opening Night.

Redemption for Schebler

The hero of the game was none other than Scott Schebler, who was making his first start in a Reds uniform. It was no walk in the park for Schebler before that moment, though. Nola owned the rookie all night long, making him look foolish by striking him out three times in as many at-bats. But singles by Eugenio Suarez, Devin Mesoraco and Jay Bruce to load the bases in the ninth set Schebler up to redeem himself, and did he ever. He worked a 2-2 count on Hinojosa before roping a pitch over the head of left fielder Cedric Hunter to push the Reds to 2-0 and send the small crowd at Great American Ball Park into a frenzy.

Finnegan strong in debut

With the Reds’ offense struggling to get anything going against Nola, their own starter kept them in the ballgame. Making just his fifth big-league start, Brandon Finnegan threw six strong innings, striking out a career-high nine batters while allowing only three hits and a walk. His only mistake came in the first inning when he left a fastball up for Maikel Franco, who drove the pitch the opposite way into the right-field bleachers for a two-run home run. From that point on, Finnegan dominated by allowing only one hit and one walk. While this outing came against a lowly Phillies squad, everyone has to be encouraged by what the southpaw showed in his first start of 2016.

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Bullpen gets the job done

If someone asked you what the Reds’ biggest weakness would be in 2016, your answer would most likely be the bullpen. That may still wind up being the case, but the relief corps has been nothing but solid through the front two games. Tony Cingrani, Ross Ohlendorf, Jumbo Diaz and J.J. Hoover combined to throw three shutout innings on Opening Day, and two newcomers — Caleb Cotham and Blake Wood — did the same on Wednesday night. Cotham, acquired from the Yankees in the Aroldis Chapman trade, allowed just two hits in two innings and generated three ground-ball outs. Wood, the team’s lone major-league signing of the winter, came on in the ninth and walked a batter with one out, but escaped with a strikeout and a great play by catcher Mesoraco to nail a runner trying to take second base.

Notes:

• Before the ninth inning rally, Suarez provided the Reds’ only run of the day with a solo home run in the bottom of the first inning.
• Bruce, who drove home a pair of runs during Cincinnati’s Opening Day rally, had himself another solid day at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a pair of opposite-field singles.
• Brandon Phillips was originally penciled in the lineup, but was scratched due to an illness. Ivan De Jesus Jr. got the start at second base.