The highlights
Chase Burns ran into some trouble in the first inning after a walk and a single with two outs, but he would strike out Ty France to end the threat. In the next inning, he would get around another walk, eliminating the runner and adding two strikeouts in the inning.
In the bottom of the second inning, the Reds would take advantage of a bases loaded situation as Will Banfield cleared the bases with a 3-run double to put Cincinnati on top. The Padres got one of those runs back when Chase Burns gave up a solo home run to Rodolfo Duran in the third inning. After striking out the second batter of the inning, his day ended.
Nick Sando took over and he walked Fernando Tatis Jr., then gave up a 2-run homerun to Manny Machado as San Diego tied the game. Chase Petty took over the next inning and threw 2.0 hitless innings.
The offense would reward Petty for his efforts in the bottom of the 5th inning. They rallied for six runs in the inning, getting singles from TJ Friedl and Matt McLain, walks from Eugenio Suarez, Spencer Steer and Will Benson, and RBI doubles from Elly De La Cruz, Noelvi Marte and Dane Myers. Unfortunately, Will Banfield was both the first and last out of the inning, with both outs coming via the strikeout.
As good as everyone in the Reds dugout felt after the 5th, they didn’t feel that way for long. San Diego greeted Graham Ashcraft as rudely as they could in the top of the sixth. He would record just one out, allow four hits, walk two and give up a grand slam to Manny Machado before leaving the game after allowing six earned runs. Minor league pitcher JP Ortiz took over for Ashcraft and got out of the inning without further damage.
The Reds did some minor damage in the next half inning to regain the lead. Tyler Callihan took the second pitch of the inning, an 84 MPH changeup, and smashed it over the right-center wall for a go-ahead solo home run. It was Callihan’s first home run of the spring.
Cincinnati’s lead was short-lived. The Padres got the tying run home on a double and then an RBI single against Zach Maxwell in the top of the 8th inning. Things turned back in the Reds’ favor in the bottom half of the inning with a small rally that started with a Tyler Callihan double. He advanced a sack on an infield hit and then scored on an RBI single by Cam Collier to give them an 11-10 lead.
Will Cannon took to the mound to try to hold on to the 1-run lead in the top of the ninth for Cincinnati. It took him 11 pitches to score three straight and seal the victory, moving the Reds to 3-2 this spring.
You can view the box score for this game here.
News and notes
Chase Burns threw 48 pitches with only 26 strikes on the day. But of the strikes he threw, he got 23 swings and 14 misses.
Elly De La Cruz is now 5-9 this spring and all of his hits have been for extra bases. He has hit three doubles, a triple and a home run so far in Arizona.
Spencer Steer went 1-1 with two walks and two runs on the day. Noelvi Marte and Will Banfield both doubled and drove in three runs. Tyler Callihan came off the bench to go 2-2 with a double and a home run.
Six different pitchers in the game walked more than they struck out. The Padres as a team had six walks and six strikeouts, while the Reds staff had ten walks and twelve strikeouts.
Chase Petty (2IP), JP Ortiz (0.2IP), Connor Phillips (1IP) and Will Cannon (1IP) all played scoreless on the day for Cincinnati.
Tomorrow the Reds are at home playing host to the Los Angeles Angels. The program features Rhett Lowder, Julian Aguiar, Jose Franco, Sam Moll and Yunior Marte in that match. The first pitch is scheduled for 3:05 PM ET.
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