Cincinnati built a quick lead in Arizona and then stopped, and one bad seventh inning sent the Reds home with a series loss.
For six innings on Sunday the Cincinnati Reds looked like they would fly out of Phoenix with a series win.
They led 3-0 before the Diamondbacks recorded an out worth worrying about, Andrew Abbott was working through the Arizona lineup, and the bullpen was lined up behind him.
Then the seventh inning arrived, four runs scored, and a 5-3 loss at Chase Field dropped Cincinnati to 62-69 with the schedule only getting harder from here.
Three Early Runs
The offense did its damage in the third inning and then disappeared.
Elly De La Cruz doubled and came around on Sal Stewart's single, and Eugenio Suarez followed with a two-run single that scored Stewart and Dane Myers for a 3-0 lead.
It felt like the start of a comfortable afternoon, as Arizona starter Mitch Bratt lasted only three innings, but the Reds never added on against the bullpen, and the last six innings passed without a Cincinnati run.
Stewart had two hits and drove in a run, giving him 98 RBIs on the season, a total that leads the majors.
The rookie has been one of the few constants in this lineup, and he extended his hitting streak to eight games.
The Seventh Inning Undid Everything
Abbott gave one run back in the sixth on Corbin Carroll's triple and a sacrifice fly, then started the seventh with the lead still at 3-1.
Tim Tawa and Jordan Lawlar singled and James McCann walked to load the bases with nobody out, ending Abbott's afternoon at 88 pitches.
Luis Mey inherited the mess, and every runner scored, first on Lars Nootbaar's groundout, then on Ildemaro Vargas' two-run triple that put Arizona ahead, and finally on Carroll's sacrifice fly that made it 5-3.
It was the first run Mey had allowed after several dominant weeks, and Abbott was charged with four runs and fell to 6-9, a rough line for a start that was one good seventh inning away from being a quality one.
Reds writer Hal McCoy noted it was the 28th time this season the Reds have blown a lead and lost, a number that explains a lot about how a team with this much young talent sits seven games under .500.
A Fading Race
The loss gave Arizona the series two games to one, and the Reds have now dropped four of their last six.
The wild card picture has nearly slipped out of reach, which is why the conversation around this team keeps drifting toward the future, from whether Spencer Steer should be traded earlier this season, and a farm system ranking that spares nobody in the front office.
Stewart remains the bright spot, and even Dodgers manager Dave Roberts singled him out at the All-Star Game, so the kid has a bright future regardless of the standing of this team.
The trip continues Monday night in San Francisco, where the Reds open a three-game set with the Giants before finishing the week at Wrigley Field.
