The Cincinnati Reds melted faces last night with a blown save and an extra-inning dismantling at the hands of the New York Mets. It was both obvious and inevitable, as Hunter Strickland was on the mound as the team’s ‘closer’ thanks to the decimation the bullpen has faced so far this season after a winter of neglect and underinvestment.
Joey Votto didn’t play because his back is hurt. Tyler Stephenson didn’t play because he’s not yet back from a busted thumb. Jonathan India exited early after being hit by a pitch, just a day after Kyle Farmer finally returned from a multi-game absence for the same reason.