CINCINNATI — The Phillies have been losing games because they can’t get a hit. The latest one came without so much as a swing.
After waiting all night to finish off the game, Philadelphia never even got a chance to bat. Jay Bruce singled with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning, sending the Cincinnati Reds to a 1-0 victory on Wednesday.
The game was suspended when heavy rain came on Tuesday night. Several hundred fans were in the stands to watch it resume. Only four batters and 9 minutes later, it was over, giving the teams plenty of time to get ready for their regularly scheduled game.
And a little more time for the Phillies to stew over another wasted chance.
“It’s frustrating to go out there and the game’s over,” said Phillippe Aumont (1-2). “Now I have nine innings to think about what I’ve done wrong.”
Aumont had been warming up to face Zack Cozart when the rain came on Tuesday night. Eighteen hours later, Cozart finally got his chance and singled.
Joey Votto followed with a walk from Aumont. Center Fielder Ben Revere made a long run before dropping Brandon Phillips’ fly ball for an error that loaded the bases with none out. Revere lost the ball in the late-afternoon sun.
Didn’t take long for things to go bad for the Phillies.
“That’s baseball for you,” Revere said. “I was shaded toward right field. I just stuck out my glove and hoped it (the ball) would hit it. It’s a shame it has to go down like that. If the sun’s not there, I make the catch.”
Up came Bruce, who lined the first pitch to right field to drive in the only run needed — an unearned run at that.
Then, it was on to the next game.
Very, very weird all around.
“You try to treat it as normally as possible, but the reality is it’s the ninth inning and it’s 5:30 p.m.,” Bruce said. “You try to use it like batting practice.”
Reds closer Aroldis Chapman (2-0) pitched the top of the ninth, fanning two of the three batters he faced to keep it scoreless. Sam LeCure was warming up in the Reds bullpen when the game resumed.
The Phillies didn’t even get a chance to take a swing after the game resumed. They didn’t do much of anything before the rain on Tuesday night, managing only two runners — on a pair of singles. Philadelphia finished with as many hits as the game had national anthem performances — two each.
The Phillies managed only those two singles off starter Homer Bailey, who matched his career high with 10 strikeouts in eight innings. Cincinnati had only two singles off Kyle Kendrick, who went seven innings.
The Phillies had 18 hours to think about their latest failings on offense. Philadelphia has scored three or fewer runs in each of its five games on a trip so far, wasting a lot of good pitching. Phillies starters have thrown at least six innings while allowing two earned runs or less in each of the last seven games.
The Reds allowed fans who had tickets to Tuesday night’s suspended game to come back for the unusual finish.
There were several hundred fans in the stands when clubhouse assistant Josh Stewart sang the national anthem — the second one of the game. The public address announcer went over the lineups — again. Umpire Wally Bell was back behind the plate when the game resumed with Aumont throwing a fastball that Cozart fouled back.
It was the Phillies’ first suspended game since Game 5 of the 2008 World Series, when rain halted their matchup against Tampa Bay in the sixth inning. The only suspended game in World Series history wasn’t resumed for two days. Pedro Feliz’s single set up a 4-3 win that clinched the Phillies’ first World Series title in 28 years.
The Reds’ last suspended game was in 2004 against Houston, a game that was halted in the top of the 11th inning by rain. Cincinnati won it in 13 innings on Jason LaRue’s double.
NOTES: Phillies LH John Lannan was set to start the regularly scheduled game later Wednesday against RH Mike Leake. Both pitchers were trying for their first win. … Michael Young extended his hitting streak to seven games. … The Reds made it official that LH Tony Cingrani will be called up from Triple-A Louisville and make his debut on Thursday against Miami, starting in place of the injured Johnny Cueto. Cingrani will be the first left-hander to start for the Reds since Dontrelle Willis did on Sept. 29, 2011. … The Reds have already had two extra-inning games and a suspended game at Great American Ball Park this season.
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