DENVER -- The Reds reached base 16 times against the Rockies on Wednesday with 11 hits, three walks and two errors. Their pitching staff retired 14 of 15 batters at one point in the middle-to-late innings. Everything was set up in their favor to take a come-from-behind win.
Yet the final score had the Reds losing to Colorado, 5-3. The demon that plagued them was hitters not coming through when it mattered most. Cincinnati was 3-for-15 with runners in scoring position and left 10 men on base.
"I think the first five hitters in the order were on base 12 times. Tonight, we just didn't deliver the big hit," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "We had a lot of guys on base, and guys that were giving us really good at-bats."
In the sixth inning, the Reds collected four hits off starter Jon Gray and received a gift when pinch-hitter Adam Duvall reached on a two-out, bases-loaded error by All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado to close the deficit to 4-3. But Billy Hamilton grounded out against Scott Oberg to end the rally.

Zack Cozart led off the seventh inning with a double and was followed by a joey Votto walk. But Scooter Gennett struck out and Eugenio Suarez grounded to Arenado for an inning-ending double play.
"I think we hit the ball pretty good tonight. We just didn't get the results we were looking for," Gennett said. "First and second there, no outs, I got up and ended up striking out. That didn't help us. It's important to move them over and give the next guy a chance to maybe hit a sac fly or put a ball in play and score a run. I can definitely take some of the blame for that."

The Reds kept the pressure on in the ninth against closer Greg Holland, even after Hamilton grounded into a double play. Cozart hit a single and Votto walked to bring Gennett back up representing the tying run. He hit a rocket comebacker that Holland blocked with his glove as he fell. Holland recovered the ball in time to throw out Gennett to end the game.
Coors Field, with its expansive outfield and located in the mile-high thin air of Denver, makes explosive innings commonplace. For all of their efforts, the Reds could not find their way to one of those innings.
"This park's kind of perceived as a home run park. I think it's more for base hits," Gennett said. "You look at the outfielders, they look like little ants out there. There's a lot of room for hits, for doubles, for extra-base hits. I think [Tuesday's 8-1 win] was kind of an example of us taking advantage of that. Hopefully we can pull at least 10 across tomorrow."