De Jesus helps Reds top Hamels for 1st time
CINCINNATI -- For a second straight week, the Reds got to the Phillies' Cole Hamels, and they took the series opener, 6-4, on Monday night from Great American Ball Park.
The Reds' put up five runs -- all earned -- off eight hits in six innings against Hamels to snap a career-best streak of six consecutive starts of at least seven innings pitched with two earned runs or fewer. This is also Hamels' first loss in 15 career starts against the Reds, having entered the evening 10-0 with a 1.45 ERA against them.
"I made some good pitches," Hamels said. "I hung a few pitches here and there. It's Major League Baseball. You're not going to have the best luck all the time. You have to battle. We were able to score a few runs. I just wasn't able to hold them down."
Reds starter Mike Leake carried a no-hitter for 6 2/3 innings last week against the Phillies but was not sharp in this one. Despite picking up his third win of the season, Leake gave up three runs -- two earned -- off 10 hits in six innings.
"Mike did a terrific job, especially [with runners on] second and third, nobody out," Reds manager Bryan Price said of the jam Leake escaped in the sixth. "To get out of that with a big strikeout of [Freddy] Galvis, the intentional walk, then getting Hamels and [Ben] Revere was terrific."
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
De Jesus Jr.'s first homer is clutch: In the bottom of the sixth, in only his fourth at-bat of the season, Ivan De Jesus Jr. went deep to left field for his first career home run. The two-run shot gave the Reds a two-run lead; the homer traveled an estimated 391 feet from home plate.
"It kind of Frisbee-d in there," Hamels said of the cut fastball De Jesus Jr. clobbered.
"It's really special, the first home run of my career in the big leagues, and first one this year," De Jesus Jr. said of the milestone. "I was telling the guys, thank God I got my first home run [ball], because I don't [have] my first base hit. I don't know, they say it got lost, so I don't know. It was 2011, so we're still looking for that ball."
Make 'em pay: After a passed ball by Cincinnati catcher Tucker Barnhart allowed the runners to move up, his counterpart, Carlos Ruiz, followed with a two-run single to center field that tied the score at 3 in the fourth inning.
Hamilton cashes in on gaffe: For a second straight week, Ruiz made a mental mistake that gave the Reds a run. In the second inning, Brandon Phillips earned a walk on a full-count pitch, but Ruiz thought Phillips had swung and missed for strike three on a dropped ball. Ruiz recovered and threw the ball to first base, and during the throw, Billy Hamilton ran home to give the Reds a one-run lead. The play was scored a fielder's choice and Statcast™ had him at 21.5 mph on the scoring play.
Video: PHI@CIN: Hamilton races home on heads-up baserunning
Both Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg and Hamels said they did not hear home-plate umpire Brian Gorman make the call until Ruiz had already reacted and was throwing to first.
"[Gorman] really didn't do anything right off the bat," Hamels said. "When you see a guy running to first, you want to get an out. I thought it was a checked swing, since [Gorman] didn't say anything. Our instincts are to get guys out, get out of the inning."
No no-no: Leake carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning vs. the Phillies last Wednesday. This time, Revere ended any chance of a no-no by leading off the game with a double to the right-field corner; he scored three batters later on Ryan Howard's two-out double to center.
Video: PHI@CIN: Howard opens scoring with RBI double
"The second time around [vs. Leake] went a long way with having better at-bats, better contact," Sandberg said.
WHAT'S NEXT
Phillies: Aaron Harang will start on Tuesday at 7:10 p.m. ET. The veteran right-hander has made six career starts (3-2, 3.75) against his former team. He has fared well at hitter-friendly Great American Ball Park, with a 2.88 ERA in 116 games there.
Reds: Rookie right-hander Anthony DeSclafani will get the start in Game 2 of the three-game series. DeSclafani picked up a win against the Phillies last week, giving up four earned runs on six hits in seven innings.
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