Cincinnati Reds: Will Tuesday’s collapse derail the team’s recent success?

The Cincinnati Reds wound up in unfamiliar territory on Tuesday night, falling in extra innings to the Chicago White Sox. Will the Reds rebound or fall apart after a very winnable game slipped through their fingers?

The Cincinnati Reds had multiple opportunities to defeat the White Sox on Tuesday night. But, baseball is a funny game. The Reds squandered an early 4-0 lead in the first. They carried a 7-2 lead in the fifth and an 8-7 lead in the ninth. The Reds eventually lost the game in extra innings 8-12, with interim manager Jim Riggleman being ejected in the process. Will this loss sit with Reds and cause more to pile up, or will Cincinnati rebound in the rubber match?

Tuesday night’s game against Chicago was a game the Reds should have won. Cincinnati jumped out of the gate early, increased their lead midway through the game and, because of a phenomenal play by Billy Hamilton, took a one-run lead into ninth.

Raisel Iglesias, who’d thrown 30 pitches over the past 2 days, uncharacteristically allowed a game-tying home run to Avisail Garcia with one out in the ninth. The blown save was Iglesias’ third of the season and his first since May 19th against the Cubs.

The Reds, who’d won 12 of their last 15 games, fell apart in the 12th inning. Scooter Gennett‘s error allowed the first batter of the inning to reach base. Jackson Stephens walked the next batter for the White Sox, and then another error, this time by Eugenio Suarez allowed the White Sox to load the bases with no one out in the inning.

With one out in the 12th, Yoan Moncada lined a rocket down the right-field line, clearing the bases with a triple. The White Sox played add-on with the next at-bat and by the time the Reds were up to bat in the inning, the Chicago lead had ballooned to 4.

In the process of all the craziness in the 12th inning, Jim Riggleman got into an argument with the home plate umpire and was ejected. Riggleman got frustrated at the umpire, Eric Cooper, questioning a signaled intentional walk.

This was a monumental collapse all around for the Reds. The offense got off to a hot start and even gave themselves a chance late.

Anthony DeSclafani pitched well until allowing back-to-back homers in the sixth inning. DeSclafani allowed 5 runs on 6 hits, 3 of which were homers.

The Cincinnati relievers were not much better. The normally reliable, David Hernandez, allowed an earned run as did Iglesias. Jackson Stephens walked 3 batters and was the victim of the bases-clearing triple in the 12th inning.

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The Reds will get a chance to right the ship when they close the series with the White Sox Wednesday. Hopefully, the troubles that plagued the Redlegs on Tuesday night do not follow them into Wednesday. Sal Romano will take the hill for the Cincinnati Reds. If the Reds win, they will have split or won a series against their fifth consecutive opponent.