Maximum Derek is just enough: Reds win 5-4

A few blasts, a bloop, and a shutdown bullpen win the game.

Wick noted that tunes should go at the head of this, to listen to while reading. Not at the end. On that note, in honor of our leggy second baseman, Les Initials...Les Initials...Les Initials DD.

The Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

Please oh please let Puig be ready. After a slow start to the season, Yasiel Puig has had a couple multi-hit games in a row now. He went 2-4 tonight with a homer and a stolen base.

Honorary mentions should go to Eugenio Suarez, whose home run went even farther into left field than Puig’s, who scored the winning run, hit a double and who is generally becoming Face of the Franchise. The bullpen was rock-solid through six as well — David Hernandez’s 25 pitches, 21 for strikes, over 2 innings, including 5 strike outs was particularly some Big Eye Emojies.

Key Plays

• The Reds started strong, with a Senzel leadoff walk driven in by a Joey Votto triple. After Samardzija struck out two, Yasiel Puig hit his sixth homer of the year to bring in Votto. Reds were up 3-0 in the first.
• The Giants got one back in the bottom of the 1st on an Evan Longoria home run off of Anthony DeSclafani.
• Disco got dinked and dunked in the 4th, with a Brandon Crawford single followed by a Kevin Pillar single and a Steven Duggar triple to tie the game. One out later, a Joe Panik sac fly brought the Giants up 4-3.
• Fortunately, the Suarez. The Golden Gene absolutely whalloped his 12th home run of the year to tie the game in the top of the 5th.
• The bullpens did well for both sides, but less so the fielding. Nick Senzel had an error that ended up being harmless. But when Suarez led off the 7th with a double, he was stranded for a couple batter before Derek Dietrich blooped a blopp out to shallow left-center. Mac Williamson, who is not Kelby Tomlinson by any means, had the ball bounce off of his glove. It was scored a single, and Suarez scored from second (since he was running on contact). Reds were up 5-4, and Raisiel Iglesias shut the door on them G’s.

Tony Graphanino

Other Notes

• As mentioned briefly, Nick Senzel had an error in this game. It, ah, wasn’t pretty. But his swing is, so hopefully this was just a weird one and nothing to fret about.
• I can’t get over what a bunch of has-beens and never-was these Giants are. Connor Joe, who you may remember from Reds Spring Training, got some run with these guys. The youngest position player is 25-year-old Steven Duggar, who triple-aside the nicest thing you can say is that he plays solid defense. Brandon Crawford is finally, 5 years later, hitting like Brandon Crawford. Yeesh.
• Tyler Mahle faces off against Big Madison Bumgarner tomorrow at 4:00 Eastern, 1:00 pm local.