Wil Myers’ two-homer, four-hit, five-RBI performance led the Cincinnati Reds to a 13-0 victory over the Philadelphia Philllies before 25,860 at Great American Ball Park.
| Final | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Phillies (5-10) | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Cincinnati Reds (6-8) |
13 | 14 | 1 |
| W: Ashcraft (2-0) L: Strahm (1-1) |
|||
| Statcast | Box Score | Game Thread | |||
Myers hit two homers in the first three innings, setting the tone for a relentless Reds offense in what was Cincinnati’s largest shutout win in more than 2,100 games vs. the Phillies.
The Offense
Myers led off the bottom of the second inning with a 406-foot bomb into the left field upper deck to give the home team the early lead.
First homer as a Red ??
First viking appearance ?? pic.twitter.com/pGVBxrcImf— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) April 15, 2023
Phillies Manager Robbie Thomson removed starting lefty Matt Strahm after 67 pitches over 2 2/3 innings. With Myers up next, it appeared Thompson wanted to avoid the Strahm-vs.-Myers matchup again. Myers crossed up that strategy with a three-run blast to left field off righty reliever Andrew Bellatti, putting the Reds up 4-0.
Oh, and Myers also contributed on defense:
Wil, Wil, Wil, Wil, Wil, Wil, Wil Mye The Baseball Guy. pic.twitter.com/eu7dEihB7r
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) April 15, 2023
That two-out play on a sizzler hit by Kyle Schwarber ended the top of the third.
Then in the fifth with two out, Jose Barrero first bobbled and then threw away a Trey Turner grounder at first base. But Myers hustled after the errant throw, retrieved it, and then fired to second, where Jonathan India was waiting to put the tag on Turner for the final out.
But wait, there’s more! With runners on first and second and nobody out in the bottom of the fifth, Phillies rookie reliever McKinley Moore splintered one of Myers’ bats, but on this day, that meant Myers looped one down the left field line for his third run-scoring extra-base hit in five innings. Cincinnati led 8-0 after five full innings.
Myers’ impressive box-score line: 5 at-bats, 4 runs scored, 4 hits, 5 RBI. For the first three games of this series, Myers is 7-for-12 with seven RBI. Over his past 15 games, he’s 10-for-28 with a 1.062 OPS.
India and Jason Vosler had two hits each batting in the leadoff spot. Barrero and T.J. Friedl knocked in two runs each.
Nick Senzel got his first hit of the year in a five-run eighth-inning onslaught against position player Josh Harrison on the mound for Philly.
The Pitching
Starter Graham Ashcraft continued his string of eye-popping appearances to start the season. In 89 pitches over six innings today, he held the Phillies scoreless on four hits and four walks, dropping his ERA to 1.42. He was followed by Buck Farmer and newcomer Casey Legumina.
Righthander Legumina, who came to the Reds in the Kyle Farmer trade with Minnesota, pitched the final two innings in his major league debut. He allowed a walk while inducing two groundouts and striking out Brandon Marsh for his first big-league K. In the ninth, he followed with two more swinging strikeouts. Legumina is expected to become a contributor at the big-league level either now or in the near future. My best guess: right now he has much more to offer than several of the marginal arms on the current bullpen roster.
What’s news
Joey Votto was back in the Reds dugout, having returned from his rehab in Louisville. According to the television broadcast, Votto will continue his rehab program while with the big-league team.
Jose Barrero was walked in four of his past five games, helping to frame this interesting comparison:
Jose Barrero w/#Reds
2022 9 BB in 174 PA
2023: 4 BB on 18 PA since Tuesday— LanceMcAlister (@LanceMcAlister) April 15, 2023
Up Next for the Cincinnati Reds
Philadelphia Phillies at Cincinnati Reds
Sunday, April 16, 1:40 p.m. ET
Aaron Nola (0-2, 7.04 ERA) vs. Luis Cessa (0-1, 7.00 ERA)
