CINCINNATI -- Credit the Reds lineup for doing its part during a bruising battle of the bullpens on Tuesday vs. the Blue Jays. But this is September of a playoff race when each win is necessary and each loss is especially consequential.
This was a battle Cincinnati needed to win and didn't. Toronto attacked early, leaving the Reds to play catchup during a 12-9 defeat at Great American Ball Park. The repercussions were not pleasant as the Mets won their game over the Tigers to extend their lead for the final National League Wild Card spot to five games, and the Giants moved into a tie with the Reds with their victory over Colorado.
When starting pitcher Nick Lodolo was scratched with an illness, manager Terry Francona was forced to make it a bullpen game. The Reds trailed 4-0 after one inning and 8-1 after the top of the second.
“That’s a big hole to dig out of. We tried," Francona said.
Opener Scott Barlow surrendered a leadoff home run by George Springer before issuing three straight one-out walks, leading to Alejandro Kirk's three-run double.
“He wasn’t commanding anything," Francona said. "You could tell it was a struggle. It was hard for him to dial it in.”
A three-run homer by Bo Bichette off lefty Brent Suter in the top of the second inning made it a seven-run game.
Yet, the Reds didn't fade quietly into the night.
“When you look up after the second inning, it doesn’t look good," Francona said. "But we made it a game. We didn’t win. The only way you have a chance to win one of those is by doing what we did.”
Back-to-back one-out doubles from the bottom pair in the order -- Jose Trevino and Matt McLain -- plated the first run of the bottom of the second against José Berríos. A two-out throwing error by third baseman Isiah Kiner-Falefa allowed Noelvi Marte to reach safely and extend the inning. After a four-pitch walk to Elly De La Cruz, Austin Hays crushed a Berríos first-pitch sinker to the second deck of left-field seats for a three-run homer that cut Toronto's lead to 8-6.
"It’s easy to hit a ground ball and jog down the line, but he’s running hard," Hays said. "The throw is a little high and he beats it out, extends the inning and gives me a chance to hit that ball there with guys on base. That doesn’t happen if we’re not continuing to play the game hard, even though we’re down.”
Berríos was out of the game after two innings, leaving Toronto to use its bullpen early as well. That was an opportunity for the Reds considering Blue Jays relievers carried a Major League worst 6.15 ERA since July 27.
Toronto extended its lead with Springer's second homer of the game, a two-run drive to left-center field against Suter in the fourth inning. But the Reds responded in the bottom half with Hays' RBI double to left field and Gavin Lux's RBI single grounded into right field -- both with two outs.
“We’re never out of it," center fielder TJ Friedl said. "It’s just continuing to punch back and putting together good at-bats. It’s a long game. We showed a lot of fight tonight and made them use a lot of pitchers while doing it.”
The Reds had the potential go-ahead run at the plate with two on and one out in the fifth inning but came up empty. Marte nearly helped pull off the comeback when his drive towards the wall in right field was caught at the warning track to end the threat.
After Friedl's eighth-inning homer to right field made it an 11-9 game, the Reds had the potential tying run at the plate with one out after a Marte double and couldn't take advantage.
“It’s unfortunate Lodolo wasn’t able to go today," Hays said. "So we knew the offense would have to step up for our guys. The bullpen’s been doing a great job all year. It’s a tough ask to have a last-minute bullpen day. We just got down early, continued to take good at-bats, continued to score runs and give ourselves a chance. At some point, you have to give credit to those guys over there. They never took their foot off the gas.”
The Blue Jays had to use some high-leverage relievers, including Seranthony Domínguez in the eighth and closer Jeff Hoffman in the ninth. That could come in handy for the Reds in Wednesday's rubber game with a chance to still take the series.
Only 23 games remain.
"We know how many games are left and we’ll continue to go out every day and play our best ball," Friedl said. "Then at the end of the year, we’ll look up and see where we’re at.”