Rhett Lowder provides much-needed 6 innings as Reds win 4th straight
Cincinnati Reds rookie Rhett Lowder (3-1) settled down after a shaky first, and the slumbering bats broke out for a 6-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays.
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.
Cue another big lift for MLB’s best bullpen ? Not so fast. Lowder fought back to retire 17 of 20 and get through six innings, including two nine-pitch innings along the way.
More: Caleb Ferguson, Jose Trevino eye timelines for returns from Reds IL 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.