A’s Get Unexpected Boost Against Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds arrived in West Sacramento with playoff hopes still alive, trying to gain ground in the NL Wild Card race. With the New York Mets losing to the Rangers, the Reds found themselves just one game behind a Wild Card spot by the time the game began.
That extra motivation gave the Reds a spark, but it was quickly extinguished in the first inning. Lawrence Butler blasted a solo home run to center field on the third pitch he saw from Reds starter Brady Singer, giving the A’s an early lead.
On the other side, A’s starter J.T. Ginn had a rough start. He walked the first two batters of the game but escaped trouble thanks to a sharp play by third baseman Darell Hernaiz, who gunned down the lead runner at third. Ginn followed that with a strikeout of Tyler Stephenson, getting out of the inning unscathed.
Ginn faced more pressure in the second inning but responded with three straight strikeouts after allowing a leadoff triple. However, in the fifth, he issued two consecutive walks, prompting a visit from A’s trainer and manager Mark Kotsay. Ginn was pulled from the game with a right calf cramp, and Tyler Ferguson came in to relieve him. Ferguson pitched 1 2/3 innings of scoreless ball, striking out three, before Hogan Harris came in for a clean inning of work.
The A’s bullpen stepped up when needed, especially with Ginn’s early exit. But it was Carlos Cortes who made the biggest impact on offense. Filling in for Tyler Soderstrom, who was scratched with groin tightness, Cortes homered twice. His first solo shot in the third inning extended the A’s lead to 2-0, providing both a spark for the offense and some breathing room for the pitchers. He hit another homer in the eighth, capping off an impressive performance.
Cortes has been a key contributor for the A’s since his MLB debut in late July. In 31 games, he’s gone 22-for-67 (.328) with three home runs and a .343 OBP. His versatility has been especially evident as a pinch hitter, where he’s 4-for-12 with a pair of singles, a double, and a home run.
Despite plenty of baserunner activity from the Reds, the A’s defense held firm. A double steal by Austin Hays and Spencer Steer in the eighth inning didn’t rattle pitcher Justin Sterner, who responded by getting Ke’Bryan Hayes to ground out and end the threat.
The A’s will look to build on this strong outing on Saturday night, with Luis Severino on the mound against the Reds’ Hunter Greene in a pivotal matchup. First pitch is at 7:05 PDT, and before the game, the A’s will induct Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder, and Barry Zito into the team’s Hall of Fame.
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