Breakthrough first inning gets Reds a series win over the Mets
When Cincinnati Reds third baseman Nick Senzel stepped up to the plate in the first inning on Thursday afternoon against the New York Mets, he faced the exact same situation that he was in during the first inning of Wednesday’s game vs. the Mets.
Both times, Senzel was at the plate in the first inning with runners on first and third. On Wednesday, Reds manager David Bell called a double steal that led to a pickoff at second base, and Senzel didn’t get the chance to drive in a run and extend the inning. One day later, Senzel got that opportunity, and he crushed an RBI double off the right field wall.
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It was the biggest swing in the Reds’ breakthrough first inning on Thursday as the Reds beat the Mets, 5-0, at Great American Ball Park in front of a crowd of 14,855. One day after a baserunning mistake limited the Reds to one run in the first inning in a game that the Reds lost 2-1, the Reds scored four runs in the first inning off Mets starting pitcher Kodai Senga.
Reds second baseman Jonathan India led off the game with a double, and left fielder Jake Fraley drove him in with a bloop single into shallow center field. Senzel, arguably the Reds’ hottest hitter over the last two weeks, gave the Reds a two-run lead against a cutter on the edge of the strike zone. Then, Reds shortstop Kevin Newman hit a two-run single with the bases loaded to give the Reds a 4-0 lead.
The underachieving Mets fell to 18-20 on the season, but the Reds still picked up an impressive win against one of the most talented rosters in MLB. In the two games the Reds won against the Mets, Cincinnati took advantage of aggressive baserunning, two-out rallies and some game-changing singles. The Reds don’t have anywhere near as much power in their lineup as the Mets have, but the Reds found ways to produce runs in their wins during the first and third games of the series.
As the Reds jumped ahead against Senga, who signed a $75 million contract before the season, they also won a game where the Reds counted on their bullpen. The Reds haven’t named a fifth starter after designating Luis Cessa for assignment, and reliever Derek Law served as the opener on Thursday and recorded the first four outs.
Thirty-one-year-old journeyman Ben Lively, back with the Reds a decade after they drafted him in 2013, pitched three scoreless innings. The Reds called up Lively on Tuesday over Triple-A prospects as those young pitchers continue to develop. Pitching in his first MLB game since 2019, Lively gave the Reds the depth and the consistency that they were looking for.
Takeaways from Reds vs. Mets
1. The Reds’ aggressive baserunning was the key to the big first inning. India got a great jump out of the batter’s box and started the inning with a double down the third base line. Fraley raced from first to third on a sawed off single to shallow right field by designated hitter Tyler Stephenson. Senzel sprinted from second to home and scored on Newman’s single. When the Mets threw home on that play, right fielder Henry Ramos took third base and Newman took second.
2. The difference between Lively in 2019 and Lively in 2023 is his ability to throw strikes and his decision to rely on just his three best pitches. Lively has simplified his approach on his way back to MLB. He doesn’t have overpowering velocity, and he didn’t get many swings and misses. But Lively located his fastball well and mixed in an effective slider.
3. Reds first baseman Spencer Steer picked up his fifth home run of the year during the fifth inning, and he leads the Reds in that category. Steer turned on a slider from Senga and pulled a high fly ball down the left field line that landed over the fence. Four Reds players are tied for second on the Reds with three homers.
Stat of the day
India had 16 doubles in 2022. He already has 12 doubles in 2023.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Breakthrough first inning gets Reds a series win over the Mets
