CINCINNATI (AP) — Jeimer Candelario snapped a scoreless tie with a two-run triple, five Detroit pitchers combined to frustrate Cincinnati’s offense and the Tigers captured the three-game interleague series with a 4-1 win on Sunday.
Akil Baddoo led off the sixth with a line-hugging double to left field. Robbie Grossman reached one out later on Joey Votto’s error and stole second. Candelario drove in both runners with a shot just inside first base and down into the right-field corner. He scored on Eric Haase’s sacrifice fly.
“I was looking for the changeup,” Candelario said. “He threw me a tough changeup. I was just looking for something to hit. I put a pretty good swing on the ball and got the job done. We’re always looking for extra-base hits. Anything we can do to get closer to home plate, we’re going to do it.”
Detroit starter Casey Mize worked three perfect innings, and José Ureña (3-8) went the next 2 2/3 innings, allowing five hits. Michael Fulmer, José Cisnero and Gregory Soto also pitched for the Tigers, with Soto striking out Nick Castellanos and Joey Votto with two on in the eighth. Soto then pitched a perfect ninth for his 18th save in 19 chances.
Max Schrock scored the Reds’ only run on Soto’s wild pitch in the eighth.
The Reds lost their fourth straight series and fell percentage points behind San Diego for the National League’s second wild card. The Padres hosted the Astros on Sunday.
“If we do anything but look forward, it would be a mistake,” Reds manager David Bell said.
Two of the three runs allowed by Luis Castillo in six innings were unearned. Castillo (7-15) allowed four hits with two walks and seven strikeouts while adding to his single-season career high for losses.
“There was nothing frustrating to me,” said Castillo, now 1-5 over his last seven starts. “Those are things that happen in the game. They have happened before. That’s part of the game.”
The Tigers added a run in the eighth. Baddoo led off with a walk and scored on Jonathan Schoop’s bloop single to center field.
Mize’s early departure was expected as the Tigers try to limit the innings of the rookie right-hander, who was taken No. 1 overall in the 2018 draft.
“We weren’t going to send him out for the fourth,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “There’s a plan in place, and we all know it. This will be Casey’s plan moving forward.”
ON HOLD
Votto hasn’t homered since Aug. 20 and remains in third place on the Reds’ career home run list, one behind Hall of Famer Frank Robinson.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Reds: Cincinnati activated RHP Brad Brach (right shoulder) from the injured list. Brach had been out since Aug. 8. INF Alejo Lopez was optioned to Triple-A Louisville.
UP NEXT
Tigers: LHP Tarik Skubal (8-12) starts at Pittsburgh on Monday. He allowed three hits and three walks with two strikeouts in three innings of relief against the Pirates on April 21.
Reds: RHP Sonny Gray (7-6) starts at Wrigley Field against the Cubs as Cincinnati opens an 11-day, nine-game road trip.
