Cincinnati Reds blown out by Padres, No. 9 hitter Brett Sullivan in road trip finale
SAN DIEGO – There are a lot of San Diego Padres hitters who command a lot of attention to during pregame pitcher’s meeting, but backup catcher Brett Sullivan probably wasn’t very high on the Cincinnati Reds’ priority list.
Sullivan, who had six career games to his name entering Wednesday’s series finale, did all the early damage as the Reds lost, 7-1, at Petco Park to end their six-game West Coast road trip. Sullivan laced a two-run double down the first base line in the second inning against Reds starter Luis Cessa for his third career hit.
Two innings later, Sullivan lifted his first career homer, a two-run blast, over the right field wall off lefty reliever Alex Young for a 4-0 lead. This is all from a guy who entered Wednesday with two hits and one walk in his first 14 plate appearances.
Juan Soto, in case anyone forgot about the stars in the Padres lineup, broke the score open with a three-run double to right field in the sixth inning.
The Reds failed to create many offensive opportunities against Padres starter Seth Lugo. TJ Friedl hit a single in the first inning, but he was deked by center fielder Trent Grisham into thinking a shallow fly ball would drop. Grisham caught it and threw out Friedl at first base.
Kevin Newman and Jose Barrero hit back-to-back singles in the fifth inning, a chance to chip into their four-run deficit, but Lugo pitched out of it by inducing a double play grounder. Spencer Steer ended the Reds’ shutout with a solo homer to left field in the sixth inning,
Cessa required 71 pitches to record 10 outs, permitting four hits, three walks and three runs in 3 ⅓ innings. He owns a 9.36 ERA through six starts and this was his fourth appearance he failed to reach at least five innings.
The Reds finished their road trip with a 3-3 record against the Padres and Oakland Athletics.
Takeaways from the Reds’ series finale against the Padres
1. Credit Jake Fraley for attempting to provide the early afternoon energy Wednesday. Fraley drew a one-out walk in the second inning, then advanced to third base on a groundout. Fraley was attempting to steal second base on the pitch, but he never stopped running when he saw third baseman Ha-Seong Kim throw across the diamond for an out.
In the next half-inning, before Sullivan’s two-run double, Fraley made a diving catch with two runners on base on a fly ball to shallow left field.
2. With an off day Thursday, the Reds kept Cessa on a short leash during his start. There was activity in the bullpen when he neared 30 pitches in the second inning, and Young was ready to enter throughout the third inning if another batter reached base.
It’s fair to wonder how much longer Cessa will stick in the rotation. The Reds lost some starting pitching depth Wednesday when they traded Triple-A starter Chase Anderson to the Tampa Bay Rays for cash considerations. Anderson had an opt-out clause in his contract Monday, and he was already added to the Rays’ active roster.
Andrew Abbott and Levi Stoudt are the top pitching prospects at Triple-A, and Kevin Herget could be an option. Herget started the season in the Reds’ bullpen, but he’s been starting games in the minor leagues.
3. The Reds caught a break in the fifth inning when Juan Soto made a baserunning blunder, a poor series for him outside of the batter’s box. Soto, who drew a leadoff walk, was attempting to steal second base when Xander Bogaerts lined a pitch into right field. Reds right fielder Stuart Fairchild trapped the ball on a diving attempt, and Soto thought Fairchild caught it.
Soto, instead of easily advancing to third base, retreated to first base after he rounded second, which turned into an out. The inning should’ve started with runners on the corners and no outs, but Soto’s mistake gave the Reds an out and only a runner on first base. Reds reliever Buck Farmer retired the next two batters on flyouts.
Stat of the day
Friedl and Jonathan India who both hit singles Wednesday, have totaled at least 31 hits each through the team’s first 31 games. The last time Reds had a pair of teammates produce at least 31 hits through the first 31 games was 2013 with Jay Bruce and Joey Votto.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Reds vs. Padres game: Brett Sullivan beats Cincinnati, Luis Cessa
