Chapman takes loss as Tigers explode in 8th

Chapman takes loss as Tigers explode in 8th

Published Jun. 11, 2012 12:11 a.m. ET

CINCINNATI (AP) -- After two months of dominance, Aroldis Chapman suddenly looks human.

Chapman threw a wild pitch that allowed the winning run to score during the Cincinnati Reds' 7-6 loss to the Detroit Tigers on Sunday night.

Virtually unhittable all season, Chapman (4-2) entered with two on in the eighth and the Reds leading 6-3. He yielded a single to pinch-hitter Brennan Boesch that loaded the bases and hit Matt Young with a pitch, forcing in a run.

Austin Jackson then hit a tying two-run double and Young scampered home on Chapman's wild pitch, helping the Tigers take two of three in the interleague series.

Chapman now has picked up the loss in his last two outings after opening the season with a franchise-record streak of 24 appearances without allowing an earned run, a stretch nobody should have expected him to maintain, manager Dusty Baker said.

"Sometimes, it happens," Baker said. "I don't care how good you are. He spoiled us by being so good, and he will be great again."

Catcher Devin Mesoraco said he didn't see anything different physically from the Cuban left-hander, who routinely reaches triple figures with his fastball.

"He's human," said Mesoraco, who homered. "He's not going to strike everybody out. He's going to have bad times, just like everybody else."

Chapman had left the clubhouse by the time the media was allowed to enter.

Cincinnati wasted Todd Frazier's homer and career-high four RBIs. The Reds also dropped into a tie with Pittsburgh for first place in the NL Central with their third loss in four games.

"I would have rather have one RBI and get the win, but we're still in first place," Frazier said. "Tied or not, we're still the leaders."

Brayan Villareal (3-1) pitched two innings for the win. Jose Valverde worked the ninth for his 12th save in 15 chances.

The Reds took a 2-0 lead against rookie left-hander Drew Smyly on Frazier's broken-bat single to right-center in the second, his second two-run single in two days.

Zack Cozart tacked on a leadoff drive in the third for his seventh homer. That proved to be the final inning for Smyly, who left with a blister on the middle finger of his pitching hand.

Detroit got on the board in the fourth. Prince Fielder reached on a two-out walk against Homer Bailey and went to third on Delmon Young's double. Ramon Santiago then hit a chopper near second base and Brandon Phillips tried a do-or-die backhand swipe that was unsuccessful, allowing Fielder to score.

Phillips was charged with an error, which was changed two innings later by the official scorer to a hit for Santiago.

The Reds got the run back in the bottom half on Mesoraco's 432-foot solo homer into the second deck in left field off Luis Marte.

Jackson hit an opposite-field solo shot with two out in the fifth, but Frazier connected for a two-run drive in the sixth. Frazier's seventh homer barely cleared the wall in right and made it 6-2.

NOTES: Boesch was scratched from the starting lineup because of his right ankle sprain from scoring the decisive run in Saturday's 3-2 win. He was replaced in right field by Quintin Berry. ... Reds 1B Joey Votto went 0 for 4, ending his hitting streak at a career-high 15 games.

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