Observations from Cincinnati Reds’ 5-2 Loss to Mariners

In a horrific flashback to 2015, the Cincinnati Reds couldn’t hold on to a late lead on Saturday night, falling to the Seattle Mariners, 5-2, in Goodyear, Arizona.

But just because it was a loss doesn’t mean there isn’t anything to talk about. Here are some observations and notes from the game:

Beat rolls on for Peraza

Through the first week of spring, Jose Peraza was still searching for his first base hit in a Reds uniform, having gone 0-for-his-first-9. His slow start is a thing of the past. The 21-year-old went off for three hits in four at-bats — including a home run — on Friday. On Saturday against the Mariners, he followed that up by going 3-for-3 with a run scored and a stolen base, his third of the month. The Reds will face a tough decision on whether to include Peraza on the Opening Day roster. He could undoubtedly contribute at the major-league level right now, but Brandon Phillips isn’t going anywhere and Zack Cozart is still the starting shortstop, meaning that getting regular playing time for Peraza could be difficult for manager Bryan Price.

Reed continues to dazzle

If there’s one Reds pitcher who’s stolen the show with his March performance, it’s Cody Reed. The Reds’ No. 3 prospect (per MLB Pipeline) had his best outing to date against the Mariners, allowing no runs and only one hit in three innings, while striking out four. Reed’s ERA now sits at 1.13, with seven strikeouts against no walks. This southpaw looks like he might be something special.

Uneventful night for the left-field candidates

With Scott Schebler getting the night off, both Adam Duvall and Yorman Rodriguez were in the lineup against Seattle. Neither could do much at the plate, going a combined 0-for-7. Rodriguez did draw a walk, however. Duvall is still solidly in contention for the left-field job, but Rodriguez has some work to do. While it’s a small sample size, he’s hitting just .167/.250/.167 in 20 plate appearances this spring.

A so-so bullpen showing

It wasn’t the greatest of nights for the Reds’ bullpen. Carlos Contreras took the most damage, recording only one out in the eighth while giving up four runs to cough up a 2-1 Cincinnati lead. Blake Wood also allowed a run in his inning of work, while Drew Hayes walked three in 1.2 innings (though he didn’t allow a run). Ryan Mattheus gave up two hit and a walk in his two innings, but didn’t allow the Mariners to score, a nice result after allowing seven runs over his previous two outings. On a more positive note, Chris O’Grady rebounded from an ugly showing in his last appearance to throw a perfect seventh inning.

Notes:

• All Joey Votto does is get on base. He singled and walked in this one, raising his slash line to .438/.545/.625. Just another typical day at the office for the franchise cornerstone.
• With only two hits all day, the Cincinnati bats came alive in the bottom of the sixth inning. Trailing 1-0, the Reds got singles from Peraza and Votto before Jay Bruce cleared the bases with a two-run triple.