CINCINNATI — Nearly 24 hours after the MLB Speedway Classic in Bristol, Tennessee was scheduled to be played, the Reds could not convert on late-game opportunities in a 4-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves.
The loss puts the Reds at 58-54. More importantly, this is the Reds sixth time the Reds have lost a series to a team that’s at least 15 games below .500 this season. That includes twice against the Braves, who the Reds lost three out of four to in early May.
Let’s look at the key takeaways from Sunday’s game and the experience at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Bristol Battered With Rain Saturday
There is going to be a fallout from the game only going less than one inning Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway, before the game was suspended until Sunday afternoon.
Here’s the thing, though; who, or what, is really to blame? If the rain hadn’t come, fun fact, weather is uncontrollable, that would have made things less of a disaster, many fans were voicing their displeasure about Saturday night on social media. Most of that displeasure pertained to long lines at merchandise and concession lines and traffic coming in and out of the Speedway.
Bad weather can complicate those circumstances fans endured. Maybe Major League Baseball wasn’t ready. Maybe Bristol Motor Speedway wasn’t ready. Then again, it hosted a college football game in September of 2016 with over 150,000 fans.
Regardless, it’s hard to blame anything or anyone for what transpired at Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend. This even took a long time to plan and set up, and rain coming the scheduled night of the game can’t be predicted or avoided. It happens. Weather, unfortunately, is the great equalizer for an event with as much excitement and anticipation as one like this.
Reds Squander Chances Late
The Reds’ loss in the resumed game on Sunday didn’t help Saturday’s experience for Reds fans. Trailing 4-2 in the bottom of the eighth, the Reds loaded the bases with two outs for Ke’Bryan Hayes. Already 2-3 on the afternoon, Hayes hit a sharp ground ball to Braves third baseman Luke Williams. Williams dove and fielded the ball cleanly and threw to second for the force out to end the inning.
Then in the bottom of the ninth, TJ Friedl led off with a single. Matt McLain then hit a long fly ball to right field that hit off the very top of the wall and stayed in play. Friedl, though, only made it to second base. It left runners on first and second base for the Reds.
Elly De La Cruz, Austin Hays and Jake Fraley, though, were retired in order by former Reds closer Raisel Iglesias to seal the Braves 4-2 win.
Leaving four runners in scoring position over the final two innings is not going to win close games, especially in games against really good teams with high leverage stakes.
For the first time since before the All-Star Break, and since June 20-22, the Reds will take on a National League Central team Monday-Wednesday when they take on the Cubs in Chicago.
Monday’s and Tuesday’s games will start at 8:05 E.T. at Wrigley Field. Nick Lodolo (8-6, 3.09 ERA) will start against Cubs right-hander Michael Soroka (3-8, 4.87 ERA) on Monday, with Reds newly-acquired right-hander Zack Littell (8-8, 3.58 ERA) starting on Tuesday.
All-Star left-hander Andrew Abbott (8-1, 2.15 ERA) will start on Wednesday with first pitch scheduled for 2:20 E.T..
All three games in Chicago will be on FanDuel Sports Network Cincinnati and 700WLW.
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