Tyler Naquin Dingers Twice as Reds Pirates Crush, 14-1

The Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

Tyler Naquin was pushed into the starting lineup early this season when Jesse Winker was battling an illness at the weekend. He immediately took the chance against Pittsburgh on Tuesday night and dived his first two at bats, one of which left the stadium, and rode in a career-high 7 on a 3-hit night. As we all expected, Naquin is now leading the majors in RBI 5 games this season. Sleep well.

Honorable mentions are due to: Wade Miley, who threw 6 innings, allowing only 3 shots, no runs and 1 run while hitting 6; Nick Senzel, who scored 3 for 4 with a step and 4 runs; Jonathan India, who also had 3 hits, including his first career triple, with 4 RBI; and Mike Moustakis, who won 2 for 3 and scored twice.

Important plays

• The Reds did not take long to get things going, as Tyler Naquin led in the first place by launching a Trevor Cahill conversion from the damn stadium to give the Reds a 1-0 lead.
• The Reds wasted no time in adding the lead in second place. Mike Moustakis, who came into the game 5-7 outside Cahill in his career, struck right for a lead. Nick Senzel followed him up with a single one in a shallow center. Moustakis, who ran on the field, advanced to third place on the game. Jonathan India continued his hot streak and sang left to score Moose. After a thinning and a strike, Tyler Naquin stepped forward and sent one to the bullpen left to represent the Reds 5-0.
• The Reds took a breather in third place, but got it right again in the next inning. Nick Senzel left for downtown with a single on a line drive. Cahill then made a stray effort and Senzel, as they usually do in Cincinnati, went from first to third error. This enabled him to score on a pocket fly to the left through India, extending the lead to 6-0. Tucker Barnhart then beat the center and advanced to second place on a successful ball. Wade Miley, who no longer needed to pass to the aforementioned ball, swung on the next sheet and hit one of Cahill’s feet and reached the game. Tyler Naquin reaches the choice of a fielder to become second and drives into Barnhart in the process of giving the Reds a 7-0 lead.
• Clay Holmes relieved Trevor Cahill in 5th place and it did not go much better for the Pirates. Eugenio Suarez started things off with a 1-out move and advanced to second on a single from Mike Moustakis. Nick Senzel then loaded the bases with a barrel of his own. It educated Jonathan India, who laid a foundation to the right to achieve Suarez. Tucker Barnhart comes up next and lifts one to no man’s land for a two-way double play. After a Wade Miley result, Tyler Naquin hit a single one left to make it a 12-0 game.
• Nick Senzel got his third hit and then Jonathan India hit a triple hit. The Reds scored a run somewhere again and took a 14-0 lead after 6.
• The Pirates managed a solo blast somewhere in the game, but they needed 13 more when the Reds closed things out with a 14-1 victory.

Tony Graphanino

Other notes

• Jonathan India started his career in the Major League on a five-match hit.
• The Reds will play for the series tomorrow afternoon, as Luis Castillo makes his second start of the season. He will face Chad Kuhl of the Pirates. The first pitch is placed at 13:10 ET.

• Voices.