Cincinnati Reds One-Run Loss Luck Not Washed Away

During a season which has produced bizarre occurrences one after the other, Tuesday night in Baltimore may take the cake with the Cincinnati Reds dropping yet another one-run loss.

First things first, the start of the game was delayed 20 minutes by inclement weather. Not a problem, considering it seems like Mother Nature has in someway affected at least half the games the Reds have played this season anyway.

Once underway, Billy Hamilton’s speed would not only fool the Baltimore defense, but the first base umpire as well. Hitting a tapper in between the pitcher and the first baseman, Hamilton made it nearly impossible for either man to have the fast-twitch reflexes to nab him as he sped up the line. Once crossing the bag, first base umpire Mike DiMuro crossed his path, just to get run over by the game’s fastest athlete. Both men were shaken up by the incident, with DiMuro having to be removed from the contest with what appeared to be a hip injury.

During the at-bat to Todd Frazier, Hamilton would swipe his 55^th base of the season, a new Reds rookie record. It then appeared he might have to do it all over again, as the rain; lightning and all other forms of precipitation, came down from the heavens. It did not appear that baseball was in the works for Tuesday evening.

Nearly two hours after firing up the right arms of each starting pitcher in the first place, the clubs returned back to the field to get on with the opening battle of the three-game set.

There is no question that Reds starter Mat Latos was affected by the fact that he had gotten warmed up and ready to come in the game at the original start time, then slightly delayed, and then massively delayed. To a common fan, this may not seem like much of a haphazard, but to starting pitchers who are notorious creatures of habit; this can be extremely detrimental both physically and mentally.

The first inning got really messy, really quick. By the time Latos would punch out Ryan Flaherty to end the bleeding, the Orioles would mash, dunk, and slice six singles in the frame, good for four runs and a significant dent into the Reds armor.

Leading off the bottom of the second was the only Orioles batter to not hit in the first, Jonathan Schoop, who promptly demolished a Latos offering into the two-tiered bullpen out beyond the left centerfield fence. Still reeling coming off the rain delay, the Orioles led 5-0 while Latos had recorded only three outs.

As a testament to Latos’ will, he would allow no more runs on the evening. In a night where the game could have truly gotten away from him, he kept the Reds and their lack of offensive output in the contest.

Finishing the night throwing just five innings, while allowing five runs on 11 hits, it was a horrific evening for Latos, who was thrown off from the start. Yet, he almost got off the hook.

The stagnation of the Reds offense is nothing new. Being dominated by Bud Norris is. Entering the start tonight, Norris was winless against the Redlegs in seven career tries, but not fazed by the torrential downpour, Norris cruised through six innings against a scuffling lineup.

There would be only one hit in the top of the eighth from the Reds, but it would be all they needed for the time being. Orioles’ reliever Darren O’Day walked Billy Hamilton, saw Brandon Phillips reach via an error, and drilled Devin Mesoraco to load the bases for Jay Bruce. With his deceptive submarine motion, O’Day left a fastball up in the zone just for it to be parked far beyond the right field scoreboard and bounce down near the warehouses. Bruce would connect with his third career Grand Slam to cut the Orioles lead down to 5-4.

As dominant a bullpen as baseball has seen this season, the Baltimore ‘pen is comprised of mostly pitchers the common fan is not aware of. Closer Zach Britton came on in the ninth, but put himself in some hot water after allowing a line drive double to Ramon Santiago and then an infield hit to Billy Hamilton. As Todd Frazier strode to the plate, there were men at the corners with one out, and all the Redlegs needed to stave off another one-run loss was at least a fly ball. Anything but a double play. Frazier bounced into a double play.

On a play that was eventually reviewed and upheld, Orioles second baseman Jonathan Schoop would tag out Hamilton as he ran by, and then flip over to first in time to nail Frazier and sink the Redlegs. With momentum having clearly shifted inside what was nearly an empty stadium, after more than five hours of trying to play baseball in Baltimore, the Reds came out losers.

Back on the ole ball field Wednesday night will be Dylan Axelrod who gets the start opposite Miguel Gonzalez of the O’s. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.