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Rhett Lowder provides much-needed 6 innings as Reds win 4th straight
TL;DR
Rhett Lowder pitched six innings, leading the Cincinnati Reds to a 6-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays. This win marks the Reds' fourth consecutive victory.
Key points
- Rhett Lowder pitched six innings
- Cincinnati Reds won 6-1 against Tampa Bay Rays
- Reds achieved their fourth straight victory
- Lowder retired 17 of 20 batters faced
- Lowder had two nine-pitch innings
Cincinnati RedsTampa Bay RaysRhett Lowder
ST. PETERSBURG, FL â 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 MLBâs 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.
The Redsâ bullpen which entered the week leading the majors with a 2.31 ERA, has been the talk of the Redsâ best start in 20 years â 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 Redsâ first 22 games.
That included Graham Ashcraft and Connor Phillips with 12 each, just one off the MLB lead through the weekend.
Phillips got the ball again in the ninth with the big lead Monday night.
Perhaps not surprisingly, it has coincided with nearly four innings a game for the relievers in the early going so far.
âI get nervous because our bullpen guys have a lot of appearances,â manager Terry Francona said. âThey all do. Itâs not like thereâs just one guy. Hopefully, at some point, we can start to get a little more length (from starters).â
Enter Lowder (3-1), who looked like a threat to increase the load before settling in to get the game to the seventh with a five-run lead.
The rookie right-hander didnât walk a batter after his back-to-back free passes to Jonathan Aranda and forced in a run before Lowder had recorded an out in the game.
Q&A
How did Rhett Lowder perform in the game against the Tampa Bay Rays?
Rhett Lowder pitched six innings, allowing one run and retiring 17 of 20 batters faced.
What was the final score of the Reds vs. Rays game?
The Cincinnati Reds won the game against the Tampa Bay Rays with a final score of 6-1.
How many consecutive wins do the Cincinnati Reds have now?
The Cincinnati Reds have now won four consecutive games.
What challenges did Rhett Lowder face during the game?
Lowder struggled initially, walking a run in the first inning and needing 34 pitches to finish it, but rebounded strongly afterward.
