CINCINNATI -- Seriously, 162-0 wasn't going to happen so now all of the pressure is off the Reds.
The Reds finally lost a game, falling 4-1 against St. Louis Saturday afternoon at Great American Ball Park. Just like the first four games of the season, this one was close throughout. Unlike the first four games, this time the Reds didn't find late offense to pull out a win.
So you can live with 161-1, right?
Just joking, but get used to these kinds of games especially in the National League Central division where expectations are for a tight race the next six months. The Reds went 12-7 against Pittsburgh last season and began this season with a three-game sweep of the Pirates but 12 of those games have been decided by one run. The Reds were just 7-12 against the Cardinals last season and the teams have split the first two games of this series. Only seven of the games have been decided by more than three runs.
The same is true with Milwaukee. The Reds won the season series against the Brewers last year, 10-9, but 11 of the games were decided by no more than two runs. Eleven games against the Cubs were decided by three runs or fewer.
"Winning beats losing, no matter if you win them by one or you win them by six," said manager Bryan Price after Friday night's 5-4 win in the series opener when the Reds scored the game-winning run in the eighth inning without getting a hit.
"I like the six-run victories a lot more myself."
The Reds played 60 one-run games in 2014, losing 38 of them. They're 3-0 in that category this season.
Saturday appeared to be heading for that destination as starting pitchers Johnny Cueto for the Reds and Michael Wacha of the Cardinals didn't controlled the game from the mound. Todd Frazier had a line-drive home run in the first inning that just enough height to clear the wall in left field but that proved to be all of the scoring for the Reds.
The Cardinals got an unearned run in the second inning on a sacrifice fly by Kolten Wong, scoring Jhonny Peralta to tie the game 1-1. Peralta had reached on a one-out fielding error by Frazier. St. Louis loaded the bases when Cueto hit John Jay with a pitch and then gave up an opposite field single to Yadier Molina.
That was the only time the Cardinals had more than one runner on base, or even got a runner past first base until the ninth inning when they had four consecutive one-out singles off of Burke Badenhop that produced two insurance runs.
The Reds had runners on base every inning from the third to the eighth, including five times having those runners in scoring position, but never had more than one runner on base at a time and never converted their scoring opportunities. They were hitless in nine at-bats with runners in scoring position.
Cueto gave the Reds another strong seven innings, just as he did on Opening Day against Pittsburgh. He allowed a home run to Matt Adams leading off the fourth inning that gave St. Louis the lead, 2-1, and ultimately cost him the decision but Cueto and the Reds' defense kept that it a one-run game until the ninth inning.
Get used to these kinds of games.
As long as the Reds go 161-1, you'll be okay with that, right?
