CINCINNATI -- Things are trending in the wrong direction again for the Reds' bullpen, but especially for reliever Amir Garrett.
Although Garrett and the bullpen didn't give up the lead, it was no less of a rough night. In the top of the sixth inning at Great American Ball Park on Tuesday, a one-run deficit to the Phillies quickly expanded during a six-run rally that included three home runs. Two of the long balls came against Garrett during the 17-3 loss that has split the first two games of their three-game series heading into Wednesday.
"For Amir right now, just continue to work," Reds manager David Bell said. "He's got to work at it like he has been and continue to find the right adjustments to make. It's going to happen. He struggled early, and then he got going really well, had several good outings in a row. He's just gotten off track a little bit the last two or three outings, so he just has to keep working at it -- and we know he will."
By the end of the night, and for the second time in two weeks, a pair of Reds position players had to finish the game on the mound in Alex Blandino and fresh callup Mike Freeman.
"It's never fun. I don't envision myself starting games where position players pitch on our end. It sucks," Reds starting pitcher Sonny Gray said.
Reds reliever Heath Hembree finished the fifth inning for Gray, but he began the top of the sixth inning with Andrew McCutchen hitting the first of his two homers in the game. After an Alec Bohm single, Bell turned to the embattled Garrett.
The first batter Garrett faced, Ronald Torreyes, hit an RBI double to left-center field. Two batters later, Odúbel Herrera socked a 1-0 fastball for a two-run homer to right field. Jean Segura was next with a single and Rhys Hoskins crushed a first-pitch fastball from Garrett to right field for another two-run homer to give Philadelphia a 10-4 lead. In their previous six games, the Phillies had scored only 13 runs.
Garrett had a 12.27 ERA over his first nine games before finding his way closer to more consistency. He enjoyed a stronger May, which included seven consecutive scoreless appearances while he retired 20 of 24 batters faced.
On May 25 in Washington, Garrett gave up a solo homer in the ninth inning of a 2-1 win. On Saturday vs. the Cubs at Wrigley Field, he walked two of the three batters he faced -- including one that forced home the go-ahead run -- before pitching a scoreless inning on Sunday.
Tuesday's performance saw Garrett's ERA jump to 9.56 in 19 games this season.
"It's tough, having been there before, knowing the emotions that enter your head and everything," Gray said. "It's tough having been in similar situations, but this is not an easy game. It's never been an easy game. It's not fun seeing any of your friends struggle. Just hope he can stay with it and figure it out."
Gray was not incredibly sharp, as he threw 96 pitches over only 4 2/3 innings. He gave up four earned runs and six hits -- including two homers -- with one walk and eight strikeouts.
Cincinnati took a 2-0 lead in the second inning against Phillies starter Aaron Nola on Tyler Naquin's two-run home run. By the top of the third inning, that lead was gone. Torreyes led off by hitting a 1-1 Gray pitch for a homer to left field. Two batters later, Herrera drove a 3-1 pitch to right field to make it a 2-2 game.
Gray and the Reds were trailing, 3-2, when he retired the first two batters of the fifth inning, but he couldn't close it out. Segura grounded a single into center field and stole second base before scoring on Hoskins' RBI double.
"If you get two outs with runners on, you need to shut the inning down. There were back-to-back innings I wasn't able to do that," Gray said.
Garrett isn't the only reliever not getting it done. Cincinnati's bullpen is ranked 29th in ERA in the Major Leagues (5.26) and second in walks (113).
After his first eight appearances were scoreless, Hembree has allowed a run in five of his last six games. Cionel Pérez, who was brought right back after he was sent down on Monday because of an injury, walked three batters and gave up three runs after he replaced Garrett.
When Perez couldn't get through the eighth, Blandino was summoned to pitch for the fourth time this season.
"We have to forget about this one and come back and play tomorrow, obviously," Bell said. "I think that's all you can do, and, actually, that's what we've already done. I mean, there's no choice there."