CINCINNATI—The Cincinnati bullpen picked up after starting pitcher Frankie Montas left the game with an injury in the first inning, and the Reds shut out the Los Angeles Angels 3–0 on Sunday, April 21, to cap a sweep of a three-game series.
Montas was hit by a line drive off the bat of Taylor Ward and left the game with a bruised right forearm after just 16 pitches. Brent Suter allowed four hits in 3 1/3 innings. Emilio Pagan (2–1) earned the win after allowing one hit in two innings.
“It’s not the first time I’ve come into a game in the first inning. It probably won’t be my last. It’s part of my job,” Suter said.
After being struck, Montas tracked down the ball and threw out Ward at first base before leaving with a trainer.
“I was going to make the play regardless. I told myself get him out,” Montas said. “I couldn’t feel my hand, nothing. It swelled up right away.”
The ball was clocked at 101 mph.
“I was trying to get out of the way. It didn’t give me time,” he said.
The five Reds relievers pitched a combined 8 1/3 innings and allowed just six singles. The Cincinnati infield turned two double plays, including one after a stellar stop by Jeimer Candelario at third base.
“It was a day of just stepping up and helping each other out,” Reds Manager David Bell said. “As soon as it happened to Frankie, we said what do we do to get this done? We saw it as a challenge. It was an amazing job by the bullpen.”
The Angels’ Jose Soriano (0–3) did not allow a hit until there was one out in the sixth inning. Elly De La Cruz singled. Nick Martini reached on an error by Luis Rengifo. Christian Encarnacion-Strand doubled, and Candelario hit a triple to put the Reds up 3–0.
“It shouldn’t present a challenge,” Angels Manager Ron Washington said. “We know Suter, and he came in, and we didn’t do very much with him. ... We just didn’t supply anything offensively today. The game was moving along. Both sides were pitching very well. We know what Soriano was doing out there, and then we don’t handle the baseball. Next thing you know, they’ve got three runs.”
Soriano allowed the three unearned runs, on three hits, in six innings, a career high. He struck out a career-high seven batters.
Alexis Diaz earned his fourth straight save, in five tries.
