Simon can’t hold on to lead, Cincinnati Reds swept by Mariners

The losing streak now sits at seven for the Cincinnati Reds after getting swept again.

For the fourth time this season and second time in a row, the Reds have been swept in a series, this time by the Seattle Mariners in a 5-4 loss on Sunday at Great American Ball Park.

Despite getting a first-inning advantage against Mariners starter Wade Miley on a two-run double by Brandon Phillips and a sacrifice fly by Jay Bruce, the Reds weren’t able to hold on, dropping their seventh consecutive game. Making matters worse is the team now has to play 10 straight games away from home, where they are a dismal 3-14 this season.

Another clunker for Simon

The Reds fell victim to another blown lead on Sunday, but it wasn’t the fault of the bullpen this time, as starter Alfredo Simon continued to pitch poorly. Gifted leads of 3-0 and 4-2, he couldn’t hold on, allowing two runs in the third inning and three more in the fifth to let the Mariners take the lead. The right-hander allowed 12 baserunners (nine hits, three walks) in five innings of work, and while that was an improvement over the 15 he allowed in 4 1/3 innings his last time out, it was far from enough to get the job done. His ERA now sits at a horrendous 10.16  and his WHIP is 2.04 through nine appearances (eight starts). It’s clear he’s not an effective pitcher any longer, but will the Reds take him out of the rotation any time soon?

Duvall keeps impressing

It’s safe to say the Reds have found their answer in left field for now. Both offensively and defensively, Adam Duvall continues to shine. He slugged his eighth home run of the season to start the fourth inning, a shot that travelled 457 feet and left the bat at 110 mph. In the field, he prevented a fourth run from scoring in the fifth inning when he gunned down Kyle Seager at the plate, the second time he’s thrown out a runner at home this season. Duvall has been one of the best left fielders in baseball this season with the glove, ranking second in ultimate zone rating (3.8) and in defensive runs saved (6).

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Relievers keep Reds in it

In its first game since getting a makeover, the Cincinnati bullpen held up well after another disappointing start from Simon. Making his major-league debut, Dayan Diaz gave up a one-out hit but erased the runner on a double play to end the sixth inning. Following a poor outing on Friday, Blake Wood bounced back with two strong innings, allowing just a double while striking out two. Tony Cingrani got the ball in the ninth and worked around a leadoff infield single and an error by Phillips to keep the Mariners from extending their lead. This marked the second game in a row in which the ‘pen hasn’t allowed a run, so perhaps the group is starting to gain some confidence.

Notes:

• Eugenio Suarez looks completely lost at the plate right now. He wore the Golden Sombrero on Sunday, going 0-for-4 with strikeouts in each at-bat. He has now struck out 10 times in his last 11 trips to the plate and has 24 strikeouts in his last 11 games.
• The Reds gave Tucker Barnhart a rare day off, and Ramon Cabrera had a nice game as the starting catcher, going 2-for-3.
• Simon lined a single up the middle in the second inning for his first hit of the year. Before John Lamb hit a single in Saturday’s game, Brandon Finnegan had been the only Cincinnati hurler to have a hit.