Suspended game set to resume today

Opener vs. D-backs will pick up with 1 out in the top of the 8th

April 21st, 2021

CINCINNATI -- As a cold and miserable rain picked up its pace at Great American Ball Park on Tuesday night, conditions worsened and the Reds saw their lead wash away with it in the eighth inning.

In a rough night for the Cincinnati bullpen, the D-backs scored two runs in the top of the eighth inning and took a 5-4 lead before the game was suspended with one out in the inning. Play will resume on Wednesday at 5:10 p.m. ET from the stopping point.

Tejay Antone's scoreless streak to start the season ended at 8 2/3 innings when Andrew Young led off the eighth by tattooing a homer to center field to make it a 4-4 game. Amir Garrett replaced Antone and walked his first batter, Pavin Smith, followed by a Kole Calhoun double. Showers intensified as Lucas Sims replaced Garrett with one out.

Sims hit the first batter he faced, Wyatt Mathisen, with a 1-0 pitch to load the bases and walked Carson Kelly with a full count to bring home Smith with the go-ahead run. Moments later, the umpires summoned the grounds crew to roll out the tarp for a rain delay.

Cincinnati overcame a labored effort from Luis Castillo, who gave up three runs (one earned) and seven hits over four innings while throwing 89 pitches. Four of the hits came during Arizona's three-run top of the first inning, where trouble was exacerbated by second baseman Jonathan India's throwing error on a force play.

In the first inning this season, Castillo has a 22.50 ERA in his four starts.

“For some reason, those first innings [are difficult]. I’ve had four starts now and three of them the first inning has been a bit of an issue," Castillo said via translator Jorge Merlos. "I’ve been trying to work on it as much as I can. I usually say that in those situations, that’s where I like to shine the most. It’s something we’ve been working on, and we’ll try to get it better the next time.”

Castillo issued two walks and hit a batter to load the bases with one out in the third inning but escaped thanks in part to a brilliant over the shoulder catch of Nick Ahmed's popup by shortstop Eugenio Suárez in short left field.

“It’s a huge play especially when you have runners on base in scoring position," Castillo said. "When I saw him make that catch, I said, ‘Oh wow, that’s very magical.’ That’s a very magical play that you rarely see like that. At that point, I just knew that we were going to get out of that inning.”

Castillo also left the bases loaded in the fourth inning before giving way to the bullpen.

Arizona's lead was trimmed to 3-2 when Kyle Farmer hit an RBI single in the fourth. The Reds took a 4-3 lead in the sixth, when Farmer slugged a two-out, two-run homer to left-center field against Yoan López.

Tickets held by those who attended Tuesday night’s game will not be good for the resumed game. Those with tickets for Wednesday can come early for the rest of the first game and remain for the second game, which will begin no earlier than the originally scheduled 6:40 p.m. ET.