INSTANT REACTION: Nick Lodolo Gives Up Late Home Run, Reds Fall to Phillies 5-1

CINCINNATI -- Twenty-four hours after the Reds outslugged the Philadelphia Phillies on the Fourth of July, without even needing a home run, the Phillies returned the favor Saturday in a 5-1 win.

Philadelphia hit three home runs spanning the fifth and eighth innings to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 5-1 win. Edmundo Sosa, Alec Bohm, and Kyle Schwarber each hit home runs, with the latter two hitting two-run home runs to put the game out of reach Saturday afternoon.

Will Benson homered for the Reds to give them a 1-0 lead in the top of the fifth, but too many missed scoring opportunities throughout the game, combined with the Phillies' slugging, proved too much to overcome late in the game.

The series is now tied 1-1 with the rubber match Sunday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park.

Let's look at the key takeaways from the Reds 5-1 loss Saturday afternoon in Philadelphia against the Phillies.

Phillies Slugging

The Phillies have one of the most powerful lineups in Major League Baseball. On Saturday, they showed why.

Schwarber, who's been one of the most powerful hitters in Major League Baseball for the last several seasons, slugged his 27th home run of the season in the bottom of the eighth to extend the Phillies' lead to 5-1.

Schwarber was joined by Bohm's two-run home run that gave the Phillies a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the sixth and Sosa's home run that tied the game 1-1 in the bottom of the fifth.

Those were just three of the Phillies five total hits in the game. But a lineup like the Phillies can still do all the necessary damage with just a few swings of the bat. They did exactly that on Saturday afternoon.

Nick Lodolo's Strong Outing Marred By Just Two Pitches

Baseball can be a cruel game sometimes. Aside from two pitches, that led to two Phillies home runs and three runs overall, Lodolo pitched one of his better games of the season.

Through six innings, Lodolo struck out eight Phillies hitters against just two walks, and he only allowed four hits. Of his 85 pitches, 58 went for strikes.

This is the first time since June 18th, and just second time since June 6th, where the Reds left-hander pitched at least six innings in a game.

Notes And Observations

Cincinnati went 0-8 with runners in scoring position and left eight runners on base.
Philadelphia went 0-5 with runners in scoring position and left just three runners on base.
Phillies left-handed starter Ranger Suarez pitched five innings and allowed five hits and two walks while striking out six Reds hitters. He threw 80 pitches, 51 for strikes, and got a no decision.
Phillies right-handed reliver Jordan Romano was the winning pitcher after pitching a scoreless top of the sixth before the Phillies took the lead in the bottom half of the inning.

On Deck

The rubber match of the series is Sunday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.

Chase Burns (0-1, 13.50 ERA) will make his third Major League start for the Reds against Phillies veteran right-hander Zack Wheeler (8-3, 2.27 ERA)

First pitch is at 1:35 E.T. on FanDuel Sports Network Cincinnati and 700WLW.

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