Cincinnati Reds slow down red-hot Rangers in 8-2 victory

The Cincinnati Reds got back in the win column by snapping the Texas Rangers’ seven-game winning streak.

With solid pitching and a steady stream of offense, the Reds were able to stifle one of baseball’s hottest teams on Tuesday, 8-2.

Coming into the contest, the Rangers had not only won seven straight, but had also taken 10 straight series. With this series being only two games, the Reds were able to end both streaks.

Disco inferno

The first two starts after returning from the disabled list yielded mixed results for pitcher Anthony DeSclafani. The third time was the charm for the young right-hander. DeSclafani turned in his best outing of the year on Tuesday, holding the Rangers to two runs on five hits in seven strong innings en route to his first win of the season.

And he should’ve allowed just one run. Before Jurickson Profar hit a home run in the second inning, Adrian Beltre hit a routine ground ball to Eugenio Suarez at third base. Suarez fielded the ball cleanly, but in one of the more odd plays of the season, he apparently thought he did not, as he looked around for a ball that he was in possession of the whole time. That allowed Beltre to reach and tacked on an extra run when Profar homered.

From there, DeSclafani settled into a groove, though, allowing only three hits the rest of the way. In total, he struck out six batters and walked one, both season bests.

Offensive outburst

Just one game after a perfect-game bid, Rangers starter Colby Lewis was charged with six runs and took his first loss of the season, due in large part to two Reds with All-Star resumes that keep strengthening.

Jay Bruce got the Reds on the board in the first inning with a three-run home run to center field, his 16th blast of the season. Lewis kept the Reds off the scoreboard until the fifth, when Zack Cozart extended the Cincinnati lead to 5-2 with a two-run triple and scored on a sacrifice fly by Billy Hamilton. Cozart and Bruce would provide more insurance runs in the seventh, when the former hit a solo homer and the latter knocked an RBI double.

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Raisel returns

After being out due to a right shoulder impingement since April 25, Opening Day starter Raisel Iglesias got back on the mound on Tuesday. Moved to the bullpen due to concerns over the health of his shoulder, the 26-year-old fired two scoreless frames to close out the game in his return to the mound.

He did get into some trouble in the eighth inning, giving up a single and a walk to start things. Following a line out by former Red Shin-Soo Choo, it looked like the Rangers would score a run on a fly ball by Ryan Rua, but center fielder Hamilton made a solid throw home and catcher Tucker Barnhart made a diving tag to complete the double play.

The ninth inning brought smoother sailing for Iglesias, who retired the Rangers in order on only six pitches.

Notes:

• For the second time all season, Joey Votto was out of the lineup due to an illness. Adam Duvall got the start at first base.
• Jose Peraza made his first career start in left field. He didn’t see a ton of action, but made a nice catch in foul territory in the second inning and a pair of routine grabs in the bottom of the ninth.
• Another pitcher who has missed a large chunk of the season due to injury, Michael Lorenzen, is expected to be activated from the disabled list on Wednesday and join the Reds’ bullpen.