—Opening Day pitcher Frankie Montas was back on the mound after missing two starts with a sore forearm.
—The Arizona Diamondbacks were 1-10 on the first game of a series and had lost seven of their last 10 games.
—Arizona starter Zac Gallen was 0-2 on the road with a 6.50 earned run average and four home runs.
All of it meant nothing because once again the Reds bats were colder than a frozen Canadian lake in December.
They could muster only three hits and absorbed their sixth straight loss, 6-2.
And the futility mounts, nine losses in 11 games. In those 11 games, they’ve scored 27 runs, 2.4 runs a game.
While Friedl was 0-for-4 for his return, Arizona leadoff hitter Corbin Carroll drove in five runs with a run-producing fielder’s choice, a run-scoring single and a three-run home run.
While all the pre-game chatter was about the influence and productivity Friedl would provide, as if Frank Robinson was returning, little was said about the return of Montas.
He pitched good enough to win if the Reds could use their bats for something more than disturbing the humid air in GABP.
Montas was good, very good — six innings, two runs, four hits, a walk and seven strikeouts.
He left with a 2-0 deficit, but his replacement, Justin Wilson, gave up four runs in the seventh, the three-run homer to Carroll that was immediately followed by a Ketel Marte home run.
With the 6-0 lead, Gallen left after holding the Reds to no runs, one hit, three walks and six strikeouts over six innings.
The Reds put runners on base in each of the first four innings, exercises in futility as none scored.
Spencer Steer walked with two outs in the first, but Tyler Stephenson struck out.
They put their leadoff batters on base in both the second and third … and didn’t score.
Jake Fraley led the second with a bloop single to left, the only hit off Gallen. The inning ended on back-to-back strikeouts by Jonathan India and Jeimer Candelario.
Will Benson walked to begin the third and stole second, but Friedl struck out, Elly De La Cruz struck out and Steer lined to right.
Christian Encarnacion-Strand walked with two outs in the fourth and India fouled out.
Montas retired the first six Diamondbacks but walked Jake McCarthy to start the third. Former Reds catcher Tucker Barnhart pulled a hit-and-run single to right, his fourth career hit in five at bats against Montas.
Carroll grounded to the mound and McCarthy scored from third for a 1-0 lead.
The D-Backs made it 2-0 in the fifth, an inning that began with an error by shortstop De La Cruz on Barnhart’s grounder.
Former Reds infielder Kevin Newman, batting ninth, singled and Carroll singled home Barnhart. Barnhart was on base all four trips to the plate —single, error, fielder’s choice, walk.
Then came Arizona’s four-run inning against Wilson — single by pinch-hitter Randall Grichuk, single by Newman, home run by Carroll, home run by Marte.
India and Tyler Stephenson saved the Reds from a shutout by hitting late-game home runs.
India’s came in the bottom of the seventh off relief pitcher Bryce Jarvis. Stephenson connected in the ninth against D-Backs closer Paul Seewald, making his 2024 debut.
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