Lorenzen's blast helps Reds slay Phillies
CINCINNATI -- Pitcher Michael Lorenzen hit a go-ahead, pinch-hit home run in the sixth inning, and Adam Duvall added a two-run shot in the seventh, lifting the Cincinnati Reds to a 7-4 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies in the finale of a three-game series on Thursday afternoon at Great American Ball Park.
Lorenzen became the first major league pitcher in eight seasons to hit a pinch-hit home run, the first since Micah Owings also did it for Cincinnati in 2009.
Cody Reed (1-0) walked four over two scoreless innings and earned his first major league victory. Drew Storen earned his first save.
Adam Morgan (0-1) took the loss for Philadelphia after allowing three earned runs on two homers in 2 1/3 innings.
Rookie Davis made his major league debut for Cincinnati allowing four earned runs in three innings with four strikeouts, but earned a no-decision after the Reds rallied from a 4-1 deficit to tie the score.
Davis, who turns 24 this month, struck out the first batter he faced in second baseman Cesar Hernandez. But, two pitches later he gave up Daniel Nava's solo home run putting the Phillies on top 1-0.
Davis threw 17 pitches in the first inning and 19 in the second. He recorded three of the first six outs via strikeouts.
Nava struck again in the third with a two-run home run to give the Phillies a 3-1 lead. It was the first career multi-home run game for Nava who coming into Thursday's game had only 25 homers in 1,518 career at-bats.
Things continued to unravel for Davis in the third. He uncorked a wild pitch then failed to cover home plate allowing Odubel Herrera to race home from this to make the score 4-1. Davis needed 38 pitches to get through the third.
Fortunately for the Reds, Brandon Finnegan's seven-inning stint Wednesday night put their bullpen in decent shape for Davis' first outing.
Davis remained in the game to bat for himself leading off the third and doubled off the left field wall for his first career hit.
The Reds took Davis off the hook when they tied the score with a three-run fourth.
Three of the four runs scored via two sacrifice flies and an RBI groundout by pinch hitter Scooter Gennett.
Clay Buchholz, who was making his Phillies debut after being acquired in December, allowed four earned runs over six innings.
The score was tied 4-4 in the sixth when Lorenzen launched a pinch-hit solo homer, the second of his career, on a 3-1 pitch from Morgan, who an inning later gave up Duvall's two-run homer on a 3-2 pitch to make the score 7-4.
NOTES: It was reportedly the first time in Reds franchise history (dating to 1869) that both starting battery mates made their major league debuts in the same game. It occurred in the majors most recently in 2008 when Nationals' RHP Shairon Martis and C Luke Montz debuted on Sept. 4. ... Phillies C Andrew Knapp also made his major league debut Thursday, marking just the second time since 1900 that both teams' starting catchers made their debuts in the same game.