Reds 'feel urgency' as late-game bat troubles continue

CINCINNATI -- Eventually, the Reds figure their late-inning luck has to turn.

Christian Yelich walloped a Statcast-projected 417-foot go-ahead homer in the third inning and Milwaukee pitching made that hold up in a 3-2 Brewers win over the Reds on Monday night at Great American Ball Park.

It was Milwaukee’s eighth straight win, while the Reds lost their third straight to fall to 29-32 on the season.

“I don't think our record is what we want it to be right now,” Reds manager Terry Francona said before the latest frustrating loss. “I think our better days are ahead. I think we feel urgency every night. If it doesn't look like it, that's not the case. If there's a game, we feel urgency.”

The Reds have yet to win a game in the final three frames in come-from-behind fashion. Already 61 games into the season, the Reds are now 0-24 when trailing after six innings, 0-26 after seven and 0-27 when trailing after eight. They have lost 10 of their 15 one-run games.

“There's something different,” Francona said. “Every game has its own personality and things like that. I understand we haven't come through, that's the commonality. If I had a reason, we wouldn't be struggling doing it.”

The Brewers, by contrast, are now 30-1 when leading after eight.

The Reds got to Milwaukee starter Aaron Civale for two runs in the first inning when Elly De La Cruz singled home TJ Friedl. Just prior to stepping into the batter’s box, De La Cruz looked to the sky briefly. Cincinnati's star shortstop was playing his second game since learning of the passing of his older sister, Genelis, over the weekend in the Dominican Republic.

Spencer Steer laid down an RBI bunt that scored De La Cruz to make it 2-0 Reds.

Cincinnati had runners at second and third with one out, but could not add to its lead, as Civale struck out Will Benson before Jose Trevino popped out to second.

Milwaukee answered immediately in the second against Brady Singer (6-4), loading the bases with one out. Joey Ortiz worked a bases-loaded walk for the first run before Brice Turang followed with a sacrifice fly to left that scored Andruw Monasterio, tying the game at 2.

Yelich crushed an 81.6 mph slider high off the batter’s eye in straightaway center, planting it just below the message banner board below the boat deck. The blast gave the Brewers a 3-2 lead in the third.

“I’d obviously like to have that one back,” Singer said. “We just stayed on the attack more. I think that pitch, I was just trying not to get another walk there, trying to stay in the zone, throw him a pitch I could get him out on. It was low in the zone, but obviously he does damage down there with the slider.”

Singer lasted just five innings, allowing four hits and three runs, walking three and striking out four while laboring through 97 pitches.

“I just need to attack hitters more in the fourth and the fifth,” Singer added. “I knew the pitch count was getting up, and wanted to give the bullpen a chance. Obviously, get through at least five [innings] there with the pitch count. I stayed on the attack the last two innings, and that’s what I should have done all game.”

It was Yelich’s 26th career long ball against Cincinnati, the most against any team. It was also his 15th home run at GABP, his third-most at any stadium behind American Family Field in Milwaukee and loanDepot park in Miami.

That was it for scoring on a night when the Reds' bats were again silent in the final four innings. Four Brewers relievers combined to retire 10 of the final 12 Cincinnati batters.

The Reds' final threat came in the sixth when Tyler Stephenson and Connor Joe singled to put runners at first and second with one out. But Trevino struck out and Santiago Espinal grounded out to end the inning.

While the missed chances in the first and sixth were tough to swallow, so, too, was a ball stung off the bat of Gavin Lux with Friedl at first after a leadoff bunt single in the fifth. With Friedl taking off with the pitch to avoid the double play on a hit-and-run, Ortiz broke for second base from his position at short. Lux's sharp grounder found him, and Ortiz stepped on the bag and threw to first for the easy double play.

“I think when you're struggling a little bit as a unit to consistently score runs, plays like that just become emphasized a little bit,” Lux said. “But it's also my job not to put the ball on the ground right there and try to stay out of the double play.

“Five feet left or right, it's a hit and TJ goes first-to-third. It's a different story. But it's my job to stay out of the double play there, also. So it is what it is, [I've] still got to get the ball in the air in that situation.”