The anatomy of a first inning disaster:
Eugenio Suarez, who made his Cincinnati debut at Shortstop, started the first hit, a mistake in two runs, and added a throwing mistake in the second inning that led to another run.
Before spring training began, Suarez said his goal is 50 home runs. Only 49 left. He hit one who was leading away from the fourth inning – but that only gave him a minus of two or three runs that were given away and one taken back.
After the first hit, starter Luis Castillo gave up three hits in a row, including a single with runs scoring in reverse against Paul DeJong’s postponement.
He hit a batsman and Suarez made his mistake in two runs. Rookie Dylan Carlson swung into the first place he saw in 2021 and started a triple home run from the right field foul pole.
St. Louis 6, Cincinnati 0.
The Reds spent the remainder of the 37-degree day at the record low (for opening day in Cincinnati) holding their fingers unfrozen and trying to crawl back.
“We were hit several times when we got back into the game,” said manager David Bell.
One of them was in the sixth inning when the Reds were down 11-6. They had two out with one. Nick Castellanos hit you hard to the left. Tyler Stephenson, aboard the second, misunderstood the ball and shot into third place. When the ball was caught it could easily be doubled by the second base to end the inning and wipe the threat away.
These are mistakes that keep a team at the end of the pile.
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Castillo didn’t give up all spring, waddling and wobbling through just 3 1/3 innings and giving up 10 runs with eight hits. Uncharacteristically, Castillo did not record a strike.
Still, he insisted that he throw good pitches and said, “I give all the credit to their hits because they hit good pitches. Give them the credit. “
In addition to the refrigerator temperature, Castillo tossed some pitches as snowflakes swirled around the hill and he slapped his face for circulation.
“Great, great, super cold,” he said. “It’s pretty difficult to throw the cold in. Coming from the Dominican Republic and pitching in Arizona, it’s really cold. And I’ve never snowed before. “
Midfielder Nick Senzel left the game in game four after injuring his shoulder while diving. Senzel has missed several games due to an injury in the last two seasons.
On the plus side, Castellanos was on the verge of a rampage, collecting three hits, including a two-part home run.
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The eye catcher, however, was rookie Jonathan India, who made his major league debut on second base.
Perhaps he paid tribute and homage to Joe Morgan, and shaggy India played Morgan-esque. With his mother in tears in the crowd, not only did he hit his first major league hit, he also finished with a single and a double. And he made several flawless defensive games, some of which were torn from the pages of Brandon Phillips’ playbook.
The game’s first batsman, Tommy Edman, landed in India. In the dugout, Bell said, “There it is, the ball will always find you.”
India said of the opening game, “I knew it was coming. I felt it. I mean, look who’s up, a left handed (Edman). Fortunately, it was a nice, simple thing that came straight to my mind. It was good to get it out of the way. “
“When they announced my name and I heard the fans say, ‘This is it. ‘I really took it all in. I haven’t blacked out. I looked around. It was a great feeling, ”he said. “Before the game, I waited for my nerves to jump in, but I was never nervous. The guys helped me through the day telling me to really take it up. .and don’t forget to breathe.
“It was a beautiful thing, something that I will never forget, something that I will cherish and wear throughout my career and that I will never forget.”
But like the rest of the Reds, he will quickly forget the score.
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