CINCINNATI -- The Reds opened a nine-game homestand on Friday to carry their schedule into the All-Star break.
“It’s huge," starting pitcher Brady Singer said of the stretch of games. "We’re obviously battling every day. We’re working on stuff trying to get better each and every day.”
While a long homestand should be a welcome opportunity for a club in desperate need to get hot, there is a complication. Cincinnati is the only National League Central club with a losing record at home after being 45-36 last season at Great American Ball Park.
The series opener against the Orioles offered no salvation with a 3-0 defeat to Baltimore. The Reds are now 19-23 at home this season and a season-high-tying seven games under .500 overall at 40-47 as their slide continues further from the playoff picture.
Like the Orioles, the Reds had only four hits -- including two infield singles -- but they drew six walks. They went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position and left 10 stranded. No one reached third base after Elly De La Cruz did in the first inning.
“When you’re not getting a lot of hits, when you have opportunities, you’ve got to kind of cash in and we haven’t and we didn’t. And it hurts our chances," manager Terry Francona said.
Here are three other things to know from this game.
150 steals for De La Cruz
After drawing his second leadoff walk of the game in the bottom of the third inning, De La Cruz stole second base to reach 150 steals for his career. At 24 years and 173 days old, he became the youngest Reds player since 1900 to reach that mark as he surpassed Eric Davis (25 years, 82 days).
After reaching on a chopped infield single in the fifth inning, De La Cruz stole second base again. It made him this season's team leader with 12 stolen bases.
Some nifty defensive plays
Reds pitchers faced the minimum number of batters over the final six innings and some strong defense played a part. With one out in the seventh inning on Blaze Alexander's grounder, second baseman Edwin Arroyo ranged far to his left in the outfield grass to make a sliding stop. Arroyo spun as he got up and threw Alexander out at first base.
“Arroyo made a couple of really nice plays. We turned some double plays, it helped," Francona said.
In the ninth inning, Pete Alonso led off with a fly ball in foul territory of short right field. Noelvi Marte chased it down and made a leaping catch as he nearly fell over the side fence into the seats.
Singer labors
Since May 1, the Reds have lost 10 of Singer's last 11 starts. He pitched five innings and allowed three runs (two earned), three hits and five walks with six strikeouts on Friday evening. A 30-pitch top of the first inning began with a leadoff walk to Gunnar Henderson and later, a one-out single by Taylor Ward.
As Alonso struck out, Baltimore executed a double steal, but catcher Tyler Stephenson's throw to third base sailed into left field. The error let Henderson score the game's first run.
“Definitely a battle. Five walks is pretty embarrassing, obviously," Singer said. "Just couldn’t really get ahead. It was a battle from the start. I just tried to get as deep as I could.”
In the third inning, Adley Rutschman led off with a ground-rule double to right field, followed by Ward's walk. Singer got Alonso to ground into a double play but left a 3-1 sinker up to Samuel Basallo and it was lifted for a two-run opposite field homer to left field.
“I was trying to get back in the count," Singer said. "I’m obviously trying not to walk him there, trying to just make a good pitch and get it out there. Got the double play to get me two outs after the ground-rule double and another walk. I just have to make a better pitch to get out of that inning.”
Singer is 3-8 with a 5.03 ERA in his 17 starts this season.
“He didn’t command right from the get-go," Francona said. "Like always, he competes like crazy, which we know he’s going to do. Five walks, it’s stopping him from getting a little deeper."