Trevor Bauer strikes out everyone, Reds pound Brewers 8-3

A good step in the right direction after a brutal end to the series with Cleveland.

The Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

Nick Castellanos and Matt Davidson both bonked homers and drove in a trio of runs each, respectively, and that was a welcome reprieve for the beleaguered Cincinnati Reds offense.

That wasn’t the single most stellar outing for the Reds in their series opener against the Milwaukee Brewers, however. That honor goes to Trevor Bauer, who decided to simply strike the hell out everyone he faced.

Bauer fanned 6 through the first 2 IP of his night, and finished with 12 K in his 6 IP evening. He threw 102 pitches, allowed just 3 H, BB, and a lone ER, and kept the Brewers completely off-tilt the entire time. It’s just the latest in a string of excellent starts from both Bauer and, in general, the Cincinnati rotation, and fortunately tonight the offense showed up to back him, too.

Honorable Mentions are due to: Castellanos and Davidson, for bashing; Jesse Winker, for getting on base a trio of times; Eugenio Suarez, for getting on base a trio of times, too; and Cody Reed, who finally fired a scoreless inning of relief.

Key Plays

• FINALLY, the Reds scored a damn run. Lots of them! Christian Colon coaxed a walk off Brewers starter Eric Lauer in the Top of the 2nd, and he moved up a bag when Winker followed with a single. Colon later scored on Farmer’s double off the stretched-out glove of LF Christian Yelich, a play that saw Winker moved up to 3B - putting him in scoring position for Nick Senzel’s later sac-fly. Castellanos chipped in with a double of his own to plate Farmer, and after Geno walked, too, Davidson’s 3-run dinger put the Reds ahead 6-0.
• It took until the Bottom of the 4th, but Milwaukee finally got on the board against Bauer and the Reds. Logan Morrison waited patiently on a hanging breaking ball, and smacked it just over the wall in left-center for a solo shot, leaving the score at 6-1.
• Castellanos got that run back, and more, for the Reds in the Top of the 6th. With Phil Ervin on, Nick donked a 2-run blast off Milwaukee reliever Corey Knebel, and the Reds held an 8-1 lead.
• The Reds bullpen is The Reds Bullpen [TM], of course, so it should be no surprise that Christian Yelich bonked a 2-run dinger in the Bottom of the 8th, but fortunately that was all the damage for the day. Reds won, 8-3.

Tony Graphanino

Other Notes

• Nick Senzel was somewhat mysteriously pulled from the game in the 4th inning, replaced in CF by Travis Jankowski. Video later showed that he appeared to tweak something in his left leg while running the bases, which was later revealed to be slight tightness in his groin.
• Speaking of injuries, manager David Bell intimated earlier today that he ‘hoped’ to have Mike Moustakas, out with a thigh bruise, back by ‘Tuesday,’ as The Athletic’s C. Trent Rosecrans relayed. That would effectively be almost a full week out as best-case scenario for Moose, and that’s on the heels of his COVID scare keeping him sidelined and the plunk on the left forearm that had him out, too. Damn.
• In other-other injury news, Pedro Strop threw 8 pitches in this one, and exited after pitch 8 with what appeared to be a pulled groin. Ugh. #FreeJoelKuhnel
• Saturday’s contest between these two will feature Brett Anderson, who is decidedly not Chase Anderson despite them being effectively the same exact person, on the mound for the beers. Anthony DeSclafani will toe the rubber again for the Reds with hopes he can replicate his season opening excellence. First pitch is set for 7:10 PM ET.
• Tunes.