ST. LOUIS -- Twice on Saturday the Reds jumped out to a 2-0 lead over the Cardinals. Twice they surrendered that lead and were left without a victory to show for it. So, in Sunday’s first game, Cincinnati took a cue from its NL Central rival and staged its own comeback. That didn’t work either.
The Reds dropped their third game of the weekend to the Cardinals in Sunday’s matinee, 4-3. Michael Lorenzen, who escaped the eighth with the game tied, did not record an out in the ninth en route to taking the loss.
“Watching what Michael did the last couple nights, what an unbelievable effort on his part,” Reds manager David Bell said. “He gave everything he had. They end up getting a couple big hits there to win it, but you can’t take away everything.
“He might need a day or two off. He’s given everything he has. Just a great effort by him.”
Harrison Bader delivered a walk-off single to near-vacant right field to end the game. Bell came to the mound before Bader’s at-bat and moved Josh VanMeter in as a fifth infielder, but Bader’s flare to right fell untouched.
Reds starter Tyler Mahle struck out five without walking a batter in 6 1/3 innings in his first start since July 19. It was only the third time this season that he recorded an out after the sixth inning. He would be the most effective pitcher of the day for Cincinnati.
“I thought he was really good,” Bell assessed. “It’s fun to see him back. It’s great to have him back with us. Looked like he was healthy and had a fresh arm. It was a great first step back and we’ll get to watch him in September.”
Mahle, who didn’t have his typical pregame meeting with pitching coach Derek Johnson, threw first-pitch strikes to 19 of the 23 hitters he faced.
“You always want to get ahead of guys, especially this team,” Mahle said. “Probably in the league, they’ve been the toughest team for me just because it seems like a lot of guys put together good at-bats and stuff like that, so getting ahead of them is huge.”
After the Reds fell behind 1-0 on a fielding error by Mahle, Eugenio Suarez unleashed his 40th home run of the season to stake the Reds to a 3-1 lead that would evaporate in the eighth and ninth.
The homer landed just over the outstretched glove of Cardinals center fielder Harrison Bader and on the center field batter’s eye at Busch Stadium and, in doing so, set a club record for home runs in a season by a third baseman. Tony Perez also hit 40 homers in 1970, but only 39 came while playing third base.
“Stay strong. Stay strong,” said Suarez. “It’s a tough schedule for us. Five games in three days is hard, but this is baseball. We’re here to play baseball every day and you gotta be strong to play every day and prepare yourself to go outside and play hard every day and try to win the games.”
Mahle exited after hitting Jose Martinez with a pitch in the seventh. Martinez stole second -- only his third stolen base of the season -- and scored after Robert Stephenson allowed a single to Harrison Bader. Amir Garrett started the eighth by walking Dexter Fowler and allowing him to advance to second after a wild pickoff throw. Fowler would score to tie the game on a Paul DeJong sacrifice fly.
The benches cleared briefly in the top of the fourth inning following a dispute between Freddy Galvis and Mikolas. Galvis flied out to center and ran across the pitching mound on his return route to the dugout, drawing Mikolas’s ire. Though both bullpens also emptied, there were no ejections.
The Reds are now 19-30 in one-run games, which Bell sees as a sign of a team on the verge of growth.
“It does tell you how close you are,” Bell said. “We’re so close. We just have to stay with it and keep getting better.”