Cincinnati Reds take series from Phillies despite losing Nick Castellanos, Jesse Winker
PHILADELPHIA – At the end of a seven-game road trip, the Cincinnati Reds had a lot of things working against them.
Nick Castellanos and manager David Bell were ejected in the first inning after Castellanos disagreed with a called third strike. Jesse Winker, who missed the last two games with low back tightness, exited in the third inning with an apparent injury. Starting pitcher Sonny Gray lasted only 4 2/3 innings.
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It didn’t stop them from winning a series against the Philadelphia Phillies. Jonathan India carried the offense early and Reds pitchers escaped a few jams in a 7-4 victory at Citizens Bank Park. The Reds finished their road trip with a 3-4 record, but they ended on a high note by taking two of three from a playoff hopeful.
The Reds were clinging to a one-run lead before the bottom of the lineup provided some breathing room. Tucker Barnhart was gifted an extra strike and made it count with an RBI double into the right-field corner. Pinch-hitter Tyler Stephenson followed with a two-run homer.
Next up is a six-game homestand against the sliding Chicago Cubs and the Miami Marlins. The Reds are 2.5 games behind the San Diego Padres for the second wild-card spot, which is their best path for the postseason barring a collapse from the Milwaukee Brewers.
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Castellanos received a quick hook after he disagreed with a pair of called strikes in his first-inning strikeout. Castellanos turned to home-plate umpire Sean Barber after the final pitch was called a strike off the outside corner and he was ejected within five seconds.
Bell ran out of the dugout once Castellanos turned to face Barber, but he was too late to prevent an ejection. An animated Bell aired out his grievances for about 30 seconds before crew chief Alan Porter ejected him, too.
It was the second ejection of Castellanos’ career. He disagreed with Barber in the ninth inning Saturday when he was called out on a check-swing and perhaps that carried into Sunday. After the strikeout Saturday, Castellanos appeared to say, “that wasn’t even close.” Bell has been ejected 15 times in his career, including four times this season.
Winker may have aggravated his mild intercostal strain. He flew out to center field in the first inning and flew out to right field in the third. He appeared to run more gingerly back to the dugout after his third-inning flyout and he was replaced in the bottom half of the inning by Aristides Aquino.
Still, the Reds had a lead when they lost their two All-Star starters and their manager.
India hammered a solo homer on the third pitch of the afternoon from Phillies starter Aaron Nola, pulling an elevated 94-mph fastball over the left-field fence. It was India’s 15th home run of the season, which is only two shy of India’s total from 165 minor-league games.
It was India’s fourth career leadoff homer. He said some words to his teammates in the dugout as he rounded third base. He has seven homers in his last 16 games.
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Gray and India hit back-to-back singles in the third inning. Shogo Akiyama, in the lineup after Castellanos’ ejection, saw four consecutive pitches off the outside corner. He lined the fourth one down the left-field line for a two-run double.
India scored from first base, beating a throw to the plate with a headfirst slide. India pumped his right fist a few times once the umpire ruled him safe. He leads the league in runs (54) since he was moved to the leadoff spot on June 5.
The Reds had the bases loaded with no outs in the fourth inning, but couldn’t turn it into any runs after a flyout and Gray grounded into a double play with the infield drawn in. They loaded the bases again in the fifth inning with one out and it led to only one run when Tyler Naquin drew a bases-loaded walk.
It was a missed opportunity to add to their lead, but it was just enough run support for Gray and the bullpen. Gray permitted four hits and three runs in 4 2/3 innings, striking out two and walking three.
The Phillies loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the fifth inning for the middle of their lineup. Bryce Harper had an eight-pitch battle with Gray, with most of the 28,544 fans rising to their feet when it became a full count and booing when Gray stepped off the rubber to run through another set of signs with the catcher.
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Harper drew a walk after fouling four pitches and Didi Gregorius followed with a sacrifice fly, cutting Philadelphia’s deficit to one run. That ended Gray’s afternoon after 78 pitches, but reliever Lucas Sims stranded two runners by striking out Andrew McCutchen with a slider.
The Phillies had the tying run at the plate in the eighth inning after three two-out hits against Luis Cessa. Mychal Givens pitched out of it, inducing a flyout on his second pitch, and Givens capped the win with a scoreless ninth.