Reds pitcher Brady Singer on OF Tyler Callhihan injury in Braves game
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Brady Singer talks about teammate Tyler Callihan’s near catch that resulted in a badly broken forearm during Monday’s loss.
ATLANTA — This is why the Cincinnati Reds can’t have nice things. Or even wild-card playoff spots.
Not quite to tfhe quarter-pole mark of the season, the early results for the Reds don’t suggest great things for all their great expectations in the great, big, tough National League this year.
They’ve got series sweeps against last-place clubs Pittsburgh and Colorado, a 20-2 win over another last-place team in Baltimore and lost a series to a fourth last-place team in Miami.
And after nearly getting no-hit in their latest foray against a non-division playoff contender as they opened a series this week in Atlanta, the Reds are 9-15 against everyone who didn’t wake up this week in last place – and back to sea level overall (18-18).
Monday night’s 4-0 loss to the Braves in the opener of a four-game series included just one hit, a single up the middle by No. 8 hitter Santiago Espinal off rookie right-hander AJ Smith-Shawver, who had a losing record and 4.26 ERA entering the game. Smith-Shawver finished the inning for his longest career outing by more than two innings.
The lack of any offensive life added insult to literal injury for the Reds, who lost young left fielder Tyler Callihan to a badly broken left forearm when he tried to make a running catch of Matt Olson’s drive into the corner in the third inning.
Callihan gloved the ball on the run but then crashed into the wall in foul territory, glove first, crumpled to the ground the ball dislodging as he hit the ground.
It was ruled a non-catch and Olson circled the bases for a two-run inside-the-park home run — later confirmed on replay after the Reds challenged the two-out call.
