Joe Ryan pitches well but Twins fall to Reds

Final

Reds 2, Twins 1

Starting pitcher performance

Joe Ryan turned in his second consecutive quality start, going six innings and allowing two runs — one earned — on three hits. Both of those runs came in the fourth inning.

Ryan allowed a one-out double to Elly De La Cruz before a Ryan Kreidler throwing error put a second runner on. The next batter, Eugenio Suárez, hammered a sweeper out of the zone to left-center field, bringing home both of the runners to give the Reds the lead.

Player of the Game

Suárez had the big swing in a game that was well-pitched on both sides. The third baseman finished with two of his team’s four hits on the night.

Suárez also made a nice sliding grab on a Luke Keaschall ground ball in the seventh inning when the Twins had a pair of runners on, popping quickly to his feet and throwing out a hustling Keaschall out to end the threat.

Key moment

The Twins had a prime opportunity in the fifth inning to break through off starter Brandon Williamson, a southern Minnesota native, after he walked the bases loaded.

They did get one run out of the situation with Austin Martin’s sacrifice fly, which right fielder Will Benson made a sliding catch to snag. But they couldn’t do any more damage than that, as Keaschall hit into an inning-ending double play.

It was part of a tough night for Keaschall, who struck out looking with the bases loaded in the third inning — a challenge revealed the pitch just clipped the zone — and also stranded the pair of runners in the seventh as part of an 0 for 4 day.