The Cincinnati Reds finally got on the scoreboard, and now they’ll try to get back into the win column behind right-hander Brady Singer against the host Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday.
The Reds, who suffered three consecutive 1-0 losses heading into their game on Friday, rallied with a pair of unearned runs in the eighth inning to snap their longest scoreless streak in almost 80 years, but dropped a 3-2 decision at Milwaukee.
Singer (1-0, 0.00 ERA) will be opposed by right-hander Elvin Rodriguez (0-1, 9.00 ERA).
Milwaukee’s Tyler Alexander threw 5 2/3 innings Friday and exited without allowing a hit. The Reds broke up the no-hitter with two outs in the seventh, then scored in the eighth to snap their scoreless streak at 35 innings. The scoring drought was the Reds longest since a 37-inning streak in 1946.
Milwaukee has won four straight since opening the season with four losses, while the Reds have dropped four in a row.
Singer, 9-13 with a 3.71 ERA in 32 starts last season with the Kansas City Royals, allowed just one hit in seven scoreless innings in his Reds debut Monday in a 14-3 win over Texas, striking out eight and walking two.
Singer has faced the Brewers only once in his career, allowing one run in 5 1/3 innings to get the win in a 6-4 victory with Kansas City last May 8.
Cincinnati is 1-4 this season in one-run games and was 15-28 (.349) last season.
“Guys are just trying too hard,” said bench coach Freddie Benavides, filling in for manager Terry Francona, who was ill.
“You’re trying to hit a three-run homer with nobody on base. Sometimes that goes into it. But we’ve all played the game and sometimes it’s easy to say ‘relax,’ but it’s also tough to do.”
Milwaukee scored more runs in its opening four losses, being outscored 47-15, then it has in its four-game winning streak, totaling 12 runs.
Christian Yelich is hitting just .083 with two hits in 24 at-bats.
Catcher William Contreras, who hit .281 last season with 23 homers and 92 RBI, is hitting just .0743 with two singles in 27 at-bats.
Turang, who has hit safely in all eight games, is hitting .313 with a team-high six RBIs, and Sal Frelick is off to a .321 start.
“Frelick again was in the middle of everything,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “Turang, what can you say? He’s just emerging as an offensive threat.”
After posting a 12.27 ERA in the first four games, Brewers pitching has a 0.24 ERA over the past four outings, allowing one earned run in 38 innings.
Rodriguez, who pitched in Japan last season, allowed four runs on six hits in four innings in his Brewers debut on Monday in an 11-1 loss to Kansas City. He has never faced the Reds.
Reds second baseman Matt McLain was scratched from the lineup Friday because of left hamstring tightness, but appeared as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning. He is expected to be available Saturday, Benavides said.
–Field Level Media
