C. Notes: Reds run wild in record-setting Sunday that has numbers galore

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James Leo is in his first year as the Cincinnati Reds’ media relations coordinator after spending last year as an intern in Larry Herms’ department, and a big part of his job is helping put together the postgame notes.

You see those stats daily and sometimes wonder who even comes up with thinking those things, much less looks them up? That’s Herms, Jamie Ramsey and Leo, as well as their intern Mason Stamm. Herms and Ramsey have been with the Reds for more than 25 years, and it’s tough to find days when either one’s had as many small stats to look up than Leo did Sunday during and after the Reds’ 24-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.

Some time around the eighth inning, Leo started texting the media with statistical tidbits.

At one point, Leo was asked for another statistic, and the writer offered an apology for adding one more — yet Leo responded it was “fun.” And it can be.

So, what did Leo come up with? Here are some of the postgame notes following the Reds’ offensive explosion:

• The team’s 24 runs were tied for the second most in a game since 1900. The record is 26 set on June 4, 1911, against the Boston Braves. The team last scored 24 runs on May 19, 1999, at Colorado.

• The 22-run margin of victory was the most since the 26-3 victory over Boston in 1911. The only other time the Reds beat an opponent by 22 was May 13, 1902, against Philadelphia.

Austin Wynns went 6-for-7 with six RBIs on Sunday. (Daniel Kucin Jr. / Imagn Images)

• The Reds set a modern-day record (since 1900) by reaching base 38 times (25 hits, 11 walks, two hit by pitch). The Reds have twice reached 37 times, including the 1999 game against the Rockies. The 25 hits were tied for the sixth most and the most since getting 25 in the 1999 game against the Rockies.

• The Reds reached base 78 times in the three-game series, the most in any three-game series, according to Elias Sports Bureau. Elias also noted that the 27 walks in the series tied the most in any three-game series (July 9-11, 1973, at Montreal).

• The 49 hits in the series were the fourth most in any three-game series since 1900. The franchise record is 54, set against the Pittsburgh Pirates in August 1995.

• The 15 hits with runners in scoring position were the most since at least 1975, when RISP data is readily available.

• For just the second time in franchise history, the team had at least 10 players reach base multiple times (June 4, 1911, against the Boston Braves).

• It was the first time in Reds history — and fifth by any team since the RBI became an official statistic in 1920 — that 10 players on one team not only reached base multiple times but also recorded an RBI.

• Before this weekend, the Reds were 23rd in baseball in walks with 57. After 27 walks this weekend, they have 84 and were ranked seventh when their game ended.

• Catcher Austin Wynns, who was drafted by the Orioles in 2013 and made his big-league debut with the team in 2018, tied the franchise record with six hits in a game. Phillip Ervin did it on July 13, 2019, in Colorado. The other Reds who have had six hits in a game are Walker Cooper (July 6, 1949, against the Cubs), Ernie Lombardi (May 9, 1937, at Philadelphia) and Tony Cuccinello (in the first game of a doubleheader Aug. 13, 1931, at Boston).

• Wynns joined Cooper as the only Reds player to record six hits and at least six RBIs in a game since RBI became a stat. Wynns knocked in six, while Cooper had 10 RBIs against the Phillies.

• According to Elias, Wynns is just the sixth player who is primarily a catcher to record a six-hit game, joining fellow Reds Cooper and Lombardi. The others were the Dodgers’ Paul Lo Duca (2001), Brooklyn’s Hank DeBerry (1929) and Pittsburgh’s Johnny Gooch (1922).

• Wynns and Noelvi Marte are just the third Reds teammates since 1900 to have at least five hits each in a single game, joining Vada Pinson and Frank Robinson in the first game of a doubleheader at Philadelphia on Aug. 14, 1959, and Pete Donohue and Curt Walker on May 22, 1925, in Philadelphia.

• Wynns and Marte became the first Reds teammates to drive in six or more runs in the same game. Marte, batting eighth, finished with seven RBIs.

• Speaking of former Orioles, per Elias, Austin Hays became the seventh Reds player since 1900 with multiple hits in his first three games against a former team, joining José Peraza (Los Angeles Dodgers in 2016-17), Brian Dorsett (against the San Diego Padres in 1994), Kevin Mitchell (against the Padres in 1993), Don Blasingame (against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1961), Buck Jordan (against the Boston Braves in 1937) and Tommy Griffith (against the Boston Braves in 1915).

• Hays’ 12 hits through his first six games with the Reds are the most since Jay Bruce had 13 in 2008.

• Finally, the Reds were the first big-league club in nearly 75 years to produce 24 runs, 25 hits and 11 walks in a game. The last time that happened, it was the Boston Red Sox on June 8, 1950, against the St. Louis Browns, who would later move to Baltimore and become the Orioles.

Whew.

And here’s one I looked up because I was curious — Wynns’ six hits were the most the Reds have ever had out of the No. 9 position in the batting order. Only one other time have the Reds gotten five hits out of the nine hole, and that was July 16, 2007, in Atlanta when starting pitcher Bobby Livingston went 4-for-4 and Norris Hopper added a single.

Only six Reds No. 9 hitters have had four hits in a game before Sunday; the last came last year when Santiago Espinal was a triple shy of the cycle on July 30 against the Cubs. Others who have done it are Livingston, Billy Hamilton (Aug. 13, 2015), John Smiley (June 7, 1993), Danny Jackson (Sept. 4, 1988) and Don Newcombe (June 21, 1959).

Emilio Pagán taking advantage of his opportunity

One thing Reds manager Terry Francona wanted out of his closer when the decision was made to put Alexis Díaz on the injured list to start the season was someone who threw strikes and had relatively even left/right splits. That gave him two options — Ian Gibaut and Emilio Pagán.

On Opening Day, Francona called on Pagán early, leaving Gibaut late. Gibaut blew the save, but since then, he’s allowed just one run in nine appearances spanning nine innings. Pagán has walked just one batter and struck out nine over his 9 1/3 innings this year and has allowed just three earned runs.

Pagán isn’t the prototypical flamethrower out of the bullpen in the ninth, but he’s hardly a soft tosser, averaging 94.4 mph on his fastball. He’s thrown the pitch more than he did a year ago, 73.4 percent of the time this year versus 57.8 percent last season. Over his career, right-handers have a .637 OPS against him and left-handed hitters a .766 OPS. So far this season, lefties have done much more damage against him (.923 OPS) than righties (.311), but he’s faced only 20 right-handed hitters and 13 left-handed hitters.

“He’s done a good job,” Francona said. “It’s like the same thing about asking guys to hit in a different place in the batting order. We don’t ask guys to do something different. We put them where their strengths will play. “

The week that was

The Reds entered the week with a .500 record and finished it with a .500 record. Winning two of three from the Orioles in Baltimore was a big way to bounce back from a sloppy loss to finish the series at home against the Seattle Mariners. The Reds won their first road series of the season despite dropping the game started by Hunter Greene, who had his first bad outing of the season, and winning a bullpen game Sunday (with the help of 24 runs).

The week ahead

The Reds continue their three-city trip by heading to Miami for three games against the Marlins. New dad Nick Lodolo is expected to come off the paternity list Monday and start against Miami for his first outing as a father. Nick Martinez, a native of South Florida, starts Tuesday. After a day off Thursday, the Reds will be in Denver for three games against the Rockies.

Injury updates

• RHP Carson Spiers (right shoulder impingement) was placed on the IL on Sunday after throwing 94 pitches over four innings in relief of Greene on Saturday. Spiers was expected to make a spot start Sunday in place of Lodolo, but was needed to cover the innings Saturday after Greene’s short start. The Reds called up right-hander Randy Wynne from Louisville and started Brent Suter. On Sunday, Francona said Spiers told him the shoulder had been bothering him since spring training. Spiers is expected to have an MRI on Monday in Cincinnati.

• 1B Christian Encarnacion-Strand (lower back inflammation) went on the IL on Thursday. Encarnacion-Strand said Thursday he’s dealt with lower-back pain in the past: “I’ve had it enough to know it is affecting my ability to be myself.”

• C Tyler Stephenson (left oblique strain) worked out with Louisville this weekend and is expected to join the Bats this week on a rehab assignment starting Tuesday.

• LHP Sam Moll (left shoulder impingement) went on the IL on Monday. He said the shoulder should improve quickly and didn’t expect it to be a long stay on the list.

Minor-league roundup

• Triple-A Louisville (11-10): RHP Luis Mey threw a 103.2 mph fastball to strike out Johnathan Rodriguez on Saturday, the fastest strikeout pitch at any level of baseball this season. Mey walked four that inning to give up a run, and he has walked as many batters as he’s struck out so far this season (seven). Last season, he walked 43 and struck out 63 in 55 innings.

• Double-A Chattanooga (6-8): RHP Jose Acuna struck out 10 batters in five innings Thursday while giving up four runs on five hits. The 22-year-old improved to 2-0 on the season while his ERA rose to 3.00. He has 19 strikeouts and 15 walks over 15 innings.

• High-A Dayton (5-10): RHP Luke Hayden, an eighth-round pick out of Indiana State last year, is off to a nice start following two starts for the Dragons. Thursday, he gave up a run on three hits with five strikeouts over 4 1/3 innings. In his first start, he struck out five in five scoreless innings.

• Class-A Daytona (8-7): The Tortugas’ home park is Jackie Robinson Ballpark, where Robinson started his career with the Dodgers in spring training in 1946. Fittingly, on Tuesday, Jackie Robinson Day, the Tortugas beat the Jupiter Hammerheads 17-6. Third baseman Carlos Sanchez hit a grand slam and finished with six RBIs on two hits. The 20-year-old Sanchez is hitting .391/.500/.587 in 13 games and 56 plate appearances. He has four doubles and a triple to go along with his one home run.

(Top photo: Greg Fiume / Getty Images)

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