PHILADELPHIA — On Tuesday, it was a fly ball lost in the lights. On Wednesday, it was an errant flip from first baseman Joey Votto to reliever Ryan Mattheus.
Two plays, and two losses for the Cincinnati Reds– both by 5-4 scores to the Philadelphia Phillies, the latter in 11 innings.
“That’s two straight games sitting there for us,” Reds manager Bryan Price said, “and we weren’t able to finish them. And it’s not for lack of effort.”
The Phillies, no-hit by Mike Leake for 6 2/3 innings, tied the game by scoring four times in the ninth, the key blow a three-run homer by rookie third baseman Maikel Franco off closer Aroldis Chapman.
Philadelphia left fielder Cody Asche doubled with one out in the 11th, and shortstop Freddy Galvis then bounced a ball to Votto, who flipped it to Mattheus covering the bag.
He dropped it.
“The ball hit off the top of my glove,” Mattheus said. “I should have had it. I practice that play 500 times. There’s just no excuse.”
The night before, right fielder Jay Bruce lost a ball in the lights with his team up 4-2 in the eighth. Franco followed by hitting a game-tying two-run homer, and the Phillies won the game in the ninth on a pinch-hit single by Darin Ruf.
Bottom line: The Reds are finding ways to lose. They have dropped 12 of their last 16.