Chase Burns delivered six innings on Saturday, surrendering just one run on four hits while issuing three walks.
CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Reds finally found themselves on the fortunate side of a messy inning. In the fifth frame of Saturday’s matchup against the Houston Astros, a walk and a pair of costly miscues — this time by the opposition — fueled a three-run outburst that carried the Reds to a 3-1 victory, snapping an eight-game losing streak.
“It’s a great feeling, a really great feeling,” said Reds manager Terry Francona. “I’m proud of those guys. It’s been a tough week, but they keep working and competing. It hasn’t always gone our way, but they’re not giving up, so we won’t give up on them.”
Through the first 4⅓ innings, the script looked all too familiar: sparse offense and a deficit. Reds starter Chase Burns kept the Astros in check until Braden Shewmake launched a solo home run with two outs in the top of the fifth — a gut punch for a team that had lost all eight games in May.
Houston’s recent struggles may have rivaled Cincinnati’s in many ways, but right-hander Spencer Arrighetti offered them reason for hope. Entering Saturday, Arrighetti was 4-0 with a 1.96 ERA. He didn’t allow a base runner until the third inning and gave up his first hit in the fourth.
Starting the fifth, he had faced only one batter over the minimum. After striking out designated hitter Nathaniel Lowe, Spencer Steer lined a single to left and became the first Red to reach second base when he stole the bag against catcher Christian Vázquez — the same catcher who had thrown out Elly De La Cruz on a steal attempt to end the fourth.
Will Benson walked, and then catcher Jose Trevino lifted a fly ball to right field, deep enough into the corner for Steer to tag. But after a week of the Reds committing errors both literal and figurative, it was the opponent who faltered. Right fielder Cam Smith bobbled the ball as he prepared to throw, allowing Steer to hold at third. With the bases loaded, second baseman Matt McLain — hitting ninth for the third time this season after batting second most of April — lined a single to left, scoring two runs and giving Cincinnati its first lead.
The rally continued. Left fielder Zach Cole’s throw home skipped in front of the plate and beyond a sliding Will Benson, allowing two runners to advance. After a walk and a shallow flyout that couldn’t bring home the runner, De La Cruz singled in another run before McLain was thrown out at the plate by Cole on a perfect throw. Still, the Reds had a two-run cushion.
“It’s a tough stretch, but I just go out and do my job,” Burns said. “I gave up that homer, but the team picked me up and put up a shutdown inning. That’s what happened, and we’ll keep building from there.”
Houston Astros right fielder Cam Smith misplays a fly ball during the fifth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. (Dylan Buell / Getty Images)
The Reds’ pitching depth has been tested this spring, with their top two rotation starters beginning the season on the injured list. Right-hander Hunter Greene, initially slated for Opening Day, is out until July after undergoing surgery to remove bone spurs from his right elbow. Left-hander Nick Lodolo made his first start Friday after starting the season on the IL with a blister on his left index finger. Lefty Brandon Williamson has already landed on the IL, and right-hander Rhett Lowder remains a question mark.
