By Miguel Mike Medina
The Cincinnati Reds beat the Los Angeles Angels 6-4 on Tuesday night.
Reds starter Hunter Greene had an outstanding performance with 12 strikeouts through six innings. He did allow three hits and three earned runs, but he was more of an asset than a liability for the team.
Elly De La Cruz is a player that any team would love to have. The hustle of De La Cruz in this game is something to admire. He hustles from first base to score all the way home from a base hit from Miguel Andujar.
It didn’t stop there. It happened again in the fifth inning when De La Cryz scored home from first base. Andujar was at the plate again during that situation. It was amazing to witness this kind of Ricky Henderson caliber hustle and running.
Noelvi Marte went deep in this game. He had a good day at the plate. He’s on a tear. Marte has a 10-game hitting streak. He is seeing the ball well, taking advantage of matchups, and looks very comfortable, especially against right-handed pitchers.
The Reds had a comfortable 4-1 lead , but then the Angels battled back and managed to tie the game at 4-4. However, the ninth inning turned out to be a different situation.
TJ Friedl hits a sacrifice fly to bring Jose Trevino home to give the Reds a 5-4 lead. Gavin Lux added an insurance run to give the Reds a 6-4 lead. The Bullpen closed the game, and the Reds have won three in a row.
Here’s an essential fun fact: The Reds are 55-18 when they score at least four runs. The Reds were 3-4 when they entered the ninth inning in a tied game. The Reds need to find a way to give up leads and continue to be consistent, especially their lineup.
Francona also needs to be more consistent with his bullpen usage. As great a manager as he is, some of his decision-making from a bullpen standpoint can be head-scratching.
The Reds will travel to Los Angeles to start a series against the Angels on Monday night. Brady Singer (10-9) will take the mound for the Reds.
Right-handed pitcher Nick Martinez (10-9) will pitch on Wednesday against Angels left-hander Yusei Kikuchi (6-8).
Miguel Mike Medina is the publisher of The MMM Journal. He can be reached at medinamiguelmike@gmail.com and themmmjournal@gmail.com
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