Winless since the All-Star break, both the D-backs and Reds were desperate to create some second-half traction with a victory on Tuesday. Arizona got what it wanted with an 11-2 victory to snap a five-game losing streak, while Cincinnati is still searching while immersed in its own five-game losing streak.
It was a 2-2 game until a six-run Arizona fifth inning broke it open. Two batters after David Peralta’s RBI double, Jake Lamb came through with a two-run triple that ended rookie starter Sal Romano’s night without an out recorded in the fifth. Reliever Tony Cingrani could not slow the momentum and gave up two doubles and a Chris Herrmann two-run homer for a six-run lead.
“It’s a game we’ve been waiting for for a while,” D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said. “We know offensively things haven’t been clicking, but that’s how baseball is. It’s good and bad. It has moments where it’s very rewarding, other times you do everything right and you still can’t build the inning and score runs. But these guys have been really staying with the process, believing in one another and it was nice.”
The D-backs were 4-for-5 with RISP in the fifth, and finished the night 6-for-12. During their five-game skid, they were 8-for-44 (.182) with RISP.
“We had a few good at-bats there and then the six-run inning, you go from a [2-2] game to a [8-2] game and 11-2 game,” Reds manager Bryan Price said. “We’ve kind of been in that territory a lot during this current homestand.”
It was the third time in the Reds’ last five losses that they gave up double-digit run totals.
Romano was charged with six earned runs and six hits over four-plus innings. He walked five (one intentional) and struck out three.
As he entered the night with a 1.34 road ERA, Robbie Ray gave the D-backs another strong start away from Chase Field. Ray was mostly smooth over his six innings while giving up two earned runs, four hits and three walks while striking out four. The lefty also notched the 500th strikeout of his career in the fourth inning.
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