ST. PETERSBURG, FL – As much as the Cincinnati Reds have been thirsting for games like this from the lineup, they might have needed what they got from starting pitcher Rhett Lowder even more in their 6-1, series-opening victory over the Tampa Bay Rays Monday night.
Lowder put the first four men he faced on base in the first, walked home a run and needed 34 pitches just to get through the inning.
Lowder fought back to retire 17 of 20 and get through six innings, including two nine-pitch innings along the way.
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The Reds’ bullpen which entered the week leading the majors with a 2.31 ERA, has been the talk of the Reds’ best start in 20 years – the biggest reason for its 10-0 record in games decided by two or fewer runs (and 3-0 mark in extra innings).
It's been the backbone of a 15-8 start overall that has them in sole possession of first place in the NL Central. What's more, it's also the core of a 9-2 start on the road, the team's best road start since the 1990 championship team (12-2), which includes a 4-0 start to this six-game trip.
But the other side of that deep and effective bullpen has been the other category the pen led the majors in entering the week: 84 individual appearances, with all seven short relievers pitching in at least 10 of the Reds’ first 22 games.
That included Graham Ashcraft and Connor Phillips with 12 each, just one off the MLB lead through the weekend.
Phillips got the ball again in the ninth with the big lead Monday night.
Perhaps not surprisingly, it has coincided with nearly four innings a game for the relievers in the early going so far.
“I get nervous because our bullpen guys have a lot of appearances,” manager Terry Francona said. “They all do. It’s not like there’s just one guy. Hopefully, at some point, we can start to get a little more length (from starters).”
Enter Lowder (3-1), who looked like a threat to increase the load before settling in to get the game to the seventh with a five-run lead.
The rookie right-hander didn’t walk a batter after his back-to-back free passes to Jonathan Aranda and Yandy Diaz forced in a run before Lowder had recorded an out in the game.
He bounced back to strike out lefty hitters Jake Fraley and Cedric Mullins before getting Nick Fortes on a grounder to third to leave the bases loaded.
From there, it was all Reds – who already led at that point, thanks to Sal Stewart’s eighth home run of the year, a two-run shot with two out in the first.
Stewart single-handedly added another run in the seventh with a two-out double, steal of third and sprint home on a wild pitch.
In between, Elly De La Cruz drove home TJ Friedl in the third two batters after Friedl reached on a one-out double, and the suddenly stirring Rece Hinds delivered his second two-run double in as many games, this time a two-out liner to left in the sixth.
Could the heretofore slumbering Reds’ bats be awaking in this fourth week of the season?
Who knows? But a night after scoring six times in the final two innings of an extra-inning win in Minnesota, they rapped nine hits, including six for extra bases and went 4-for-12 with men in scoring position.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Starting pitcher Rhett Lowder gives Cincinnati Reds 4th straight win