CINCINNATI -- Called up for his Major League debut on Wednesday night, starting pitcher Chase Petty (No. 6 Reds prospect) enthusiastically bounced and bounded from the dugout to the mound to face the Cardinals.
Before the top of the third inning ended, Petty was dejected sitting in the home dugout with his face in a towel. The Reds were on their way to a 9-1 loss in Game 2 of a split doubleheader.
“Aw man, he felt so bad," manager Terry Francona said. "He’s coming off the mountain. He’s wearing it. Just couldn’t get his fastball where he wanted it and paid heavily for it. His career is not going to be defined by tonight, and I believe that.”
Game 2's blowout came after a 6-0 defeat in Game 1, making for a rough day at Great American Ball Park.
Ranked by MLB Pipeline as the No. 99 overall prospect, Petty was called up from Triple-A Louisville as the 27th man.
“He looked like he was ready to run through the line when he came to the dugout before the game. He’ll learn," Francona said. "There’s a lot to like there, he’ll learn.”
Petty lasted 2 1/3 innings and was charged with nine runs on seven hits and two walks to go with three strikeouts. Four of the hits -- including one of the two homers he yielded -- came on two-strike counts.
“You've got to execute pitches with two strikes. Just a tough one," said Petty, who threw 69 pitches. "I know I’m better than how I performed tonight. Guys are big leaguers, they’re going to hit the mistakes.”
St. Louis hitters made Petty work and quickly ran his pitch count up. With two on and one out in his 22-pitch first inning, Petty left a first-pitch cutter over the plate that Willson Contreras clobbered for a three-run home run and a 3-0 Cardinals lead.
In the top of the second inning with one out, Pedro Pagés was in a 2-2 count before fouling off six consecutive pitches. On Petty's 11th pitch in their duel, Pagés crushed another cutter for a solo homer to left field.
“He had a hard time," Francona said. "He got to two strikes and everything was hard. I’m sure he was amped up. It’ll get better.”
“Phenomenal at-bat [by Pagés]," Petty said. "I executed a lot of pitches there. That was the one at-bat where I executed quite a few strike-to-ball two-strike pitches. He just fouled them off and kept fighting, and he hammered the one I just left over the plate."
The Cardinals batted around in the third inning as Petty gave up four more hits with a four-pitch walk. The final blow was Jordan Walker's bases-loaded two-run double. Brent Suter took over with one out, then two more inherited runners scored to make it a 9-0 game. Suter and Lyon Richardson combined for 6 2/3 innings of scoreless relief.
Petty was 0-2 with a 3.52 ERA, nine walks and 27 strikeouts for Louisville in five starts. He was summoned on Tuesday when the big league game was rained out.
At 22 years and 26 days old, Petty was the youngest Reds pitcher to appear in a game since Homer Bailey was 21 years and 150 days old on Sept. 30, 2007.
Under the 27th man rules, Petty automatically goes back to Louisville. No doubt, he will have better days in the big leagues the next time he's back.
“It was a great feeling," Petty said. "Obviously, I wish the outcome was a little different. It’s kind of hard to enjoy it to the [fullest]. I’m happy to get it out of the way. Only up from here.”
In Game 1, veteran Brady Singer often had trouble throwing strikes, but he still managed to get through six innings with one run allowed. The Cardinals carried a 1-0 lead into the ninth inning when reliever Alexis Díaz had a two-out implosion with five runs allowed, while giving up three straight home runs to Victor Scott II, Lars Nootbaar and Masyn Wynn.
Díaz now has a 12.00 ERA through six appearances.
“Oh man, it was tough," Francona said. "You’d like to keep it 1-0 and give yourself a chance to make them use their closer.”