The Cincinnati Reds will bid for their first series sweep of the season on Wednesday afternoon when they conclude a three-game set against the visiting Texas Rangers.
The Reds overcame a four-run deficit on Monday en route to snapping a six-game losing streak with a 7-6 victory over the Rangers. Cincinnati recorded another win by the same score the following night, this time by overcoming a six-run deficit.
Nick Senzel capped a three-hit performance with a pair of RBI singles on Tuesday, and Jonathan India had a go-ahead, two-run single to cap a six-run eighth inning for the Reds.
“We fight to the end,” India told Bally Sports Cincinnati. “We had a tough stretch a week ago. It’s just amazing how we can play like that still, with a stretch like that. This team is so tough. We don’t give up. We’ll never give up.”
Reds manager David Bell admitted he likes what he sees from his charges.
“There’s no secret that confidence plays a big part in this,” Bell said. “We started out the season playing with a lot of confidence, and I don’t care who you are, but if you lose a few in a row, it goes down. So, to rebound from that and stay with it and keep pushing and have it lead to a couple wins, it certainly can lead to a lot more in the future.”
Texas had won 10 of its previous 13 games before dropping the first two contests of this series. The Rangers have squandered at least a four-run lead in three of their past five games.
“They’re tough losses. Five-run lead in the eighth (on Tuesday) and couldn’t hold it,” Texas manager Bruce Bochy told Bally Sports Southwest. “It’s not easy to go through two tough losses like this, but we have to bounce back. We have no choice.”
The Reds will vie for the sweep on Wednesday when they send Graham Ashcraft (2-0, 1.88 ERA) to the mound opposite fellow right-hander Jon Gray (1-1, 3.72).
Ashcraft, 25, picked up his second no-decision in his past three starts on Friday despite allowing two runs on three hits in five innings at Pittsburgh.
He has kept the ball in the park in each of the last three outings, but he has issued at least three walks in each of those contests.
Ashcraft will be facing Texas for the first time in his career.
He’d be wise to tread lightly around Josh Jung, who responded from seeing his career-high, 10-game hitting streak come to a halt on Sunday with two more strong outings. He belted homers in consecutive innings and finished with three RBIs in the series opener on Monday before adding a two-run double on Tuesday.
Gray, 31, recorded his second straight no-decision on Friday after allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits in 5 1/3 innings against the Oakland Athletics. He issued five walks, hit a batter and threw two wild pitches, however.
Gray owns a 4-0 record with a 3.94 ERA in five career games (all starts) vs. Cincinnati, with 28 strikeouts in 29 2/3 innings.
–Field Level Media
