Reds 4, Tigers 3 (First Game)
Reds 4, Tigers 0 (Second Game)
The Cincinnati Reds came into Sunday against the Detroit Tigers desperately needing a win or two. Due to the rain, they had to play the MLB’s first scheduled sub-nine-inning doubleheader ever. The Player’s Association agreed on seven-inning doubleheaders for 2020, so this was the first of what will be many. After Anthony DeSclafani made his return to the rotation and led the Reds to a 4-3 win, Trevor Bauer took the ball for Game Two.
More Fantastic Pitching
Trevor Bauer had a great first outing against the Tigers the previous weekend. He went 6 1/3 innings, only giving up one run on two hits and a walk while striking out 13 batters. He took the ball again for the nightcap of this new version of a doubleheader, and he delivered again. Bauer this time bested himself, tossing seven innings of shutout baseball (a complete game), only giving up two hits and striking out seven.
This fantastic outing from Bauer dropped his season ERA to 0.69 and gave him an ERA-Minus of 15. The league average (4.22) is an ERA-minus of 100, making him 85% better than the league average. He now has 20 strikeouts through his first 13 1/3 innings while only surrendering one run and four hits.
Early Offensive Help
The Reds succeeded in getting Bauer some early help as well. With games being only seven innings long, they needed to get off to a fast start. After third baseman Eugenio Suarez doubled to left-center, DH Matt Davidson drove him in with a broken-bat base hit. After the first inning, the Reds had the lead, 1-0, and that’s all they needed, but they decided to play add-on. Second baseman Christian Colon doubled to lead off the second inning and immediately stole third on the next pitch. That made the job easy for right fielder Aristides Aquino as he drove in the run with a blooper to center field.
After those early scores, Bauer took the reins and did the rest. Not only has Trevor looked absolutely wonderful on the mound, but he has also seemed to return to his 2018 form. Recall that he received Cy Young votes that year while playing for the Cleveland Indians. He was great that year as he went 12-6 with a 2.21 ERA over 213 innings. It seems as though he has returned to that form for his new team in a contract year.
No Bullpen Needed
The Reds once again played add-on in the seventh inning, as catcher Curt Casali got in on the fun and Nick Senzel doubled into the gap. Colon came through in the clutch and drove them both in, making it a 4-0 score in favor of the Reds. Bauer went on to finish the game, giving him a complete game shutout, albeit only over seven innings. That made him the first Reds pitcher since 1980 to toss a sub-nine-inning complete game shutout.
The Reds return home to take on another spectacular rotation in the Indians. They will get to face a Cleveland rotation that has dominated as well, making it a very intriguing matchup to watch. After sweeping Sunday’s doubleheader, the Reds sit at 4-5 and tied for second place in the NL Central, making the next week critical to their playoff chase. Monday’s game will see Sonny Gray take on Zach Plesac at 7:10pm EDT.
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