And it was heart-tearing news. It was only the bottom of the second against the Chicago Cubs and Lodolo had a festering blister pop up.
He had to leave.
But the heavily-used, but always ready bullpen, answered the call like the firemen they are.
The bullpen of Nick Martinez, Scott Barlow, Graham Ashcraft, Tony Santillan and Emilio Pagan muzzled the potent Cubs to two runs and three hits over the final 7 1/3 innings for a 3-2 Reds victory Monday night.
In every game, there are key moments, turning points, and there were at least three for the Reds.
ONE: The Reds trailed, 2-1, with two outs and nobody on in the seventh inning. Jake Fraley doubled to the right-center wall. Ke’Bryan Hayes nubbed one about 20 feet up the third base line. Pitcher Ryan Brasier took his eye off the ball when he reached for it and missed it.
Hayes was credited with an infield hit, putting runners on second and first.
Chicago manager Craig Counsell brought in left-hander Caleb Thielbar to face left-handed T..J Friedl, who was 0 for 3 with two strikeouts. With two strikes, Friedl lined a run-scoring single to center to give the Reds a 3-2 lead.
TWO: With two outs in the seventh, the Cubs had a runner on third. Dansby Swanson nubbed a slow roller up the third base line. Ke’Bryan Hayes charged it, fielded it and threw.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
“Safe,” said umpire Adam Beck, as the tying run crossed the plate. The Reds challenged and replay revealed that Swanson missed tagging first base with his front foot. He dragged his back foot across the bag, but Hayes’ throw to first baseman Spencer Steer beat the dragging foot.
Out, no run.
THREE: Reds relief pitcher Graham Ashcraft hit Pete Crow-Armstrong with his first pitch of the eighth inning, putting the tying run on first with no outs.
Nico Hoerner lined one hard that second baseman Matt McLain speared and whipped a quick throw to first base to double up Crow-Armstrong.
Emilio Pagan did his thing in the ninth, two strikeouts and a ground ball out from the middle of the Cubs order for his 24th save.
Of stringing those three hits together that culminated in his game-deciding single, Friedl said during a post-game interview, “I was just trying to get something up, something to pop. I saw that sweeper coming and I just tried to stay through it and keep it up the middle. I just got enough of it.
“That was a hard-fought game, from start to finish. We were scrapping out at bats. Our bullpen stepped up, like they always do,” he added. “We just try to make the most of our opportunities. Whether it’s two strikes and we’re down to our last out, we’re going to make the most of every opportunity.
“Lodolo looked great, started out great, then you see him come out and that’s tough,” said Friedl. “But our bullpen stepped up, the next-man-up mentality.”
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Amazingly, the Cubs also lost their starting pitcher early in the game. Michael Soroka was making his first start since the Cubs acquired him at the trade deadline from the Washington Nationals.
He gave up a two-out home run to Tyler Stephenson in the second and retired Jake Fraley to end the inning. But he didn’t come back out for the third, opting out with right shoulder discomfort.
Lodolo retired the first five Cubs, the last on a called third strike on Willie Castro. But on his his second pitch to Justin Turner, he felt something on his left index finger. That’s when he summoned Francona and the training staff to the mound.
Martinez came on to grab the third out, but he gave up a leadoff single to Ian Happ in the third and a home run to Dansby Swanson for a 2-1 Cubs lead.
The Reds tied it, 2-2, in the sixth on McLain’s infield hit up the third base line. He scored from first base on Elly De La Cruz’s double to left and an error when left fielder Happ bobbled the ball trying to pick it up.
Lodolo has a history of blisters on his left index finger.
“It really just came up,” he told reporters after the game. “On the pitch to Castro when I struck him out I didn’t feel anything. Then I threw a slider to Turner and it felt like the skin ripped on my finger. I looked down and there was like a bubble under there, just fluid.
“So before I threw another pitch and broke it open, I thought it best to stop,” he said. “I’ve done that in the past and it takes a lot longer to heal. If I threw a couple more pitches, I wouldn’t have been in a good spot.
“Fortunately, I know what it feels like. This is not as bad as in the past. I didn’t bust it open,” he added. “We’ll see how it looks tomorrow and go from there.”
NEXT GAME
Who: Cincinnati at Chicago Cubs
When: 8 p.m.
TV: TBS, FanDuel Sports
Radio: 1410-AM, 700-AM
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
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