A big six inning for the Cincinnati Reds was the difference maker in a 6-3 loss for the Toronto Blue Jays in the series opener.
The Reds scored four runs in the sixth inning, all coming from doubles. Toronto and Cincinnati were tied at 2 to start the inning when Tyler Stephenson started the offensive parade for the Reds, scoring by reaching 1st base on a swinging third strike that got away from Toronto.
In the next at-bat, TJ Friedl hit a single to put two runners on. Friedl hit a home run in the fourth inning and collected three hits today.
Spencer Steer, who’s gotten a hit in 8 of his last 10 games, hit a double to score Stephenson, putting the Reds up 3-2.
Ty France would score Steer and Friedl on another double for the Reds, now making it 5-2. Since being traded from the Seattle Mariners to the Reds, France is hitting .260 with a .802 OPS.
Another former Mariner, Jake Fraley, would score the final run of the inning for the Reds on a double, capping off a big four-run inning for a team now only 5.5 games back of the final National League Wild Card spot.
Four of the six runs scored by the Reds came off Toronto’s starting pitcher, Kevin Gausman, but the righty was only charged with three earned runs.
Despite losing, Toronto scored first in the game from a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. blast, his 26th home run of the year. Daulton Varsho would also drive in a run off a single in the third inning. Varsho has been hot in his last four games, going 7-18, with two walks.
Julian Aguiar, making his MLB debut, got tagged for two earned runs in 4.0 innings pitched. Aguiar is Cinncinati’s’ 11th-best prospect in their system, according to MLB Pipeline.
Aguiar replaced Hunter Greene in the rotation, as Greene was placed on the injured list a few days ago with elbow soreness.
Ernie Clement hit a home run in the ninth, but Toronto was unable to make the comeback in the final inning.
There was also another storyline happening in today’s game, as former Blue Jays player Santiago Espinal made his return to the Rogers Centre.
Espinal was traded to the Reds in March, as Toronto had no room for the utility player on the 40-man roster before the start of the season. Espinal collected a double in his first game back, scoring later on a sacrifice fly from Elly De La Cruz.
With the loss, Toronto is now 1-3 in their last four games, all coming against National League Central opponents.
Toronto will send red-hot SP José Berríos to the mound, as the RHP has had two straight 7.0 inning performances where he only allowed one earned run in both outings. For Cincinnati, their SP has yet to be announced.
