In 5-HR night, Akiyama celebrated most

CINCINNATI -- There was no crowd inside Great American Ball Park on Tuesday, but Shogo Akiyama heard some cheers loud and clear from his teammates in the Reds' dugout.

None were louder, however, than when Akiyama connected for a game-tying, three-run homer in the fifth inning of a 9-7 Reds come-from-behind victory over the Tigers.

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“Even the first at-bat, they were cheering me on,” Akiyama said via translator Luke Shinoda. “Especially without the fans, I was able to hear the words they were saying. That motivated me throughout all of the at-bats.”

Cincinnati’s first game against an opponent this summer featured nine home runs overall, five by the Reds. It was a 6-6 game in the bottom of the eighth inning when Eugenio Suárez came up to bat and slugged a 1-1 pitch into the left-field upper deck for a two-run homer and the lead. Suárez led the club last season with 49 home runs.

The Tigers’ Brandon Dixon, formerly of the Reds, hit a leadoff pinch-hit homer in the top of the ninth against Cincinnati closer Raisel Iglesias. But Iglesias struck out the side after that to secure the save.

Left-hander Nick Lodolo, Cincinnati’s first-round selection in the 2019 MLB Draft and its No. 1 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, was roughed up during his start. Lodolo gave up five earned runs and eight hits -- including three home runs -- over 1 1/3 innings.

Three consecutive home runs in the top of the second inning by JaCoby Jones, Niko Goodrum and Jonathan Schoop staked Detroit to a 5-0 lead and ended Lodolo’s night.

The Reds used more homers to get back into the game against Tigers starter Dario Agrazal. Freddy Galvis’ two-run drive to right field in the bottom of the second and Tucker Barnhart’s solo homer to right field in the third made it a 5-3 game.

“There’s no doubt we have the talent,” said Reds manager David Bell. “We added to an offense I already believed in last year -- that I believe underperformed last year. We’ve seen what our pitching staff is capable of. But the big thing is the character on this team. It really stands out. Until it matters and we have a chance to compete in games that count, that’s all talk. But going in, I couldn’t feel better about the character on this team.”

The score was 6-3 when Akiyama slugged a 1-0 pitch from David McKay to center field for the game-tying home run -- unofficially his first in a Reds uniform.

As the ball cleared the wall, the Reds' players let out shouts of excitement that were easily heard over the artificial crowd noise inside the empty ballpark.

“It was a great result to be able to connect and it ended up being a home run,” Akiyama said. “Also having the environment of playing another team and just being able to win a game created a better environment as a whole. Most important, it was how people perceived that.”

Akiyama, who led off and played left field, was 1-for-4 but got a bonus fifth at-bat when the teams played a bottom of the ninth after the score was already final.

“Even in Japan, I haven’t experienced a game being a part of a team that connects for five home runs,” he said. “It made me realize that it is my job to get on base. I’m so focused on how I didn’t get on base in the at-bats the pitchers got me. Going forward, I want to focus on how to get on base each game as much as possible.”

The free agent from Japan was signed to a three-year, $21 million contract last offseason to be a boost at the top of the Reds’ order as a first-time Major Leaguer.

“We’ve gotten him a ton of work -- more than other regulars -- really just to give him an opportunity to acclimate the best he can,” Bell said. “He’s getting more comfortable. He’s such a professional. He’s showing what he’s been doing for a long time in Japan. We’re looking forward to seeing it in the season. He’s prepared himself well.”

Up next
The Reds and Tigers have one more exhibition game scheduled for 6:10 p.m. ET on Wednesday before Opening Day on Friday. José De León will start for Cincinnati.