Stott caps 3-run 9th with RBI single, Phillies top Reds 3-2
Bryson Stott slides into second base in the seventh inning during the game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Friday, April 7, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Steve Boyle/MLB Photos via Ge ((Photo by Steve Boyle/MLB Photos via Getty Images))
PHILADELPHIA - Bryson Stott capped a three-run rally in the ninth inning with a winning single to lead the Philadelphia Phillies over the Cincinnati Reds 3-2 on Saturday.
Cincinnati’s bullpen wasted a tremendous effort from left-hander Nick Lodolo, who struck out a career-high 12 and tossed three-hit ball over seven shutout innings. He walked only two batters over 106 pitches and left with a 1-0 lead.
Alexis Díaz (0-1), who struck out the side in the eighth, couldn’t escape the ninth. He walked Nick Castellanos and Alec Bohm singled up the middle. With nearly 44,000 fans standing and going wild like last October, Brandon Marsh ripped an RBI single to make it 2-1.
Díaz got the hook for Ian Giabut, who allowed Edmundo Sosa's tying sacrifice fly. Marsh stole second place and sped home on Stott's single that sent the NL champions to their second straight win.
Andrew Vasquez (1-0) got the win. Phillies batters struck out 17 times.
Spencer Steer crushed a solo shot to dead center against Bailey Falter in the first for a 1-0 lead and was awarded the Viking helmet in the dugout the Reds give to home run hitters.
Lodolo, who struck out nine in five innings in his first start of the season in a win against the Pirates, took it from there.
Lodolo’s ninth strikeout was clutch. Clinging to a 1-0 lead in the fifth, the lefty allowed a two-out double to Christian Pache. Lodolo intentionally walked Trea Turner to set up a matchup with Schwarber. On a 1-2 pitch, Lodolo got the left-handed NL home run champion Schwarber to strike out on a 94 mph fastball and end the threat.
Lodolo struck out Turner, Schwarber and JT Realmuto to open the first -- the second straight game the Phillies top-three hitters fanned to start the game. Unlike Friday’s 5-2 rally against Cincinnati’s bullpen, the Phillies couldn’t generate any offense and their April doldrums continued.
Replay, though, wiped out their chance in the second to at least tie the game.
The Phillies had runners on second and third with two outs when Schwarber beat a light shift with a grounder to third. Steer lunged at Pache as he hustled to third base and was called safe by umpire Sean Barber. After a lengthy review, the call was overturned, Pache was out and the run did not count.
Jake Fraley added a sacrifice fly in the ninth.
PUT A RING ON IT
The Phillies will receive their NL championship rings before Sunday's game.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Reds: Manager David Bell returned after he missed Friday's game to have a cyst removed from a nerve in his shoulder
UP NEXT
The Reds send RHP Connor Overton (0-0, 11.25 ERA) to the mound against Phillies RHP Taijuan Walker (0-1, 8.31 ERA) in the finale of the three-game series.