Reds 12, Padres 6: Wick burns out

In the three games Rowan Wick has pitched since making his debut on August 31st, he’s thrown three scoreless innings, given up three hits, fanned two, and walked one. That’s not the Rowan Wick that took the mound in the sixth inning today. Today’s Rowan Wick completely imploded, giving up five runs in what was already a bad day for the Padres’ pitching staff.

The offense, on the other hand, was pretty good. After Luis Urías struck out to start the game, the next four batters singled to plate two runs and stake Brett Kennedy to an early lead. Kennedy held onto that lead for just one inning. When he came out in the second, he was completely unable to find the strike zone. He walked three of the first four Reds to come to the plate, loading the bases with just one out. He managed to strike out Anthony DeScalfani for the second out, but a passed ball by Francisco Mejía allowed all runners to advance. Of course, the four-pitch walk he handed Scott Schebler would have had the same result. Andy Green finally replaced him with Matt Strahm... who immediately gave up a bases clearing double to Jose Peraza.

But the offense was good today, and they climbed out of that hole. Hunter Renfroe hit a solo shot in the third, and Franmil Reyes and Manuel Margot tied things up in the fourth with a pair of doubles. The tie didn’t last long. Phillip Ervin took Strahm deep in the bottom of the fourth.

Wick took over for the fifth, and that was pretty good. He retired the Reds in order. But the sixth? The sixth was ugly. After Eugenio Suarez fanned to start the frame, the next four batters singled, plating one and loading the bases for Schebler, who hit a goddamn grand slam on a 2-1 meatball. Miguel Diaz got the rock and stopped the bleeding... at least until he gave up a two-run bomb to Ervin.

Eric Hosmer pretended like the Padres weren’t already dead when he hit a two-run shot in the eighth, but that still left them down by a half dozen runs. The game was over the moment Schebler hit that dinger.

Robbie Erlin will take the mound tomorrow and try to pretend none of this ever happened. First pitch at 1:10 PM, assuming there’s not another rain delay.