Cincinnati Reds Triumph Despite Bullpen Woes
CINCINNATI (AP) — The Cincinnati Reds secured a 5-4 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday after a ninth-inning bullpen collapse. Noelvi Marte's two-run single sealed the win for the Reds following an unusual lodged ball call that cost Toronto the tying run.
Toronto's lead in the AL East was reduced to 2 1/2 games over the New York Yankees, who were idle. Meanwhile, Cincinnati remained four games behind the New York Mets in the NL wild card race.
The Reds were leading 2-1 until the ninth inning when Bo Bichette and Daulton Varsho hit back-to-back home runs off Emilio Pagán. Ke'Bryan Hayes and Matt McLain then set the stage for the Reds' comeback with key hits.
A ruling after a video review allowed runners to advance due to the ball getting lodged in the fence gap. This decision sent McLain back to third base before Marte's game-winning single.
Yosver Zulueta secured his first major league win by getting the final two outs in the ninth inning.
In a roster expansion move, 21-year-old Sal Stewart made his major league debut for the Reds, going 1 for 3 with a single and a run scored.
Hunter Greene pitched six strong innings for the Reds before allowing a run in the seventh inning. Bo Bichette's impressive performance included four hits, marking his sixth four-hit game with the Blue Jays.
The game saw an end to Toronto's streak of four consecutive games without issuing a walk when Chris Bassitt walked TJ Friedl in the first inning.
The Blue Jays' José Berríos and the Reds' Nick Lodolo are set to start in the next game on Tuesday.