While left-hander David Holmberg’s solid outing on Monday vs. the Cardinals doesn’t count as a start, it was certainly the type of performance the Reds would like to see from him in his future starts.
Upon Dylan Axelrod going down with a right oblique strain after retiring the first batter, Holmberg was pressed into service and delivered a career-high 5 2/3 scoreless innings. But, he was treated like many a Reds starter has been this season by getting no run support from the lineup. Shelby Miller and St. Louis handed Cincinnati a 5-0 loss.
“I knew I was going to be the long guy today. It was sprung on me a little early,” said Holmberg, who gave up four hits and two walks with five strikeouts while throwing 81 pitches. “I was just focused on throwing some good pitches and getting some innings.”
Reds manager Bryan Price called Axelrod’s injury “fairly significant,” making him not a good bet to return this season. That opens the door for Holmberg, acquired from Arizona in an offseason three-team trade that sent catcher Ryan Hanigan to Tampa Bay.
“Holmberg, with his Triple-A experience and coming off a good start, would certainly warrant another look,” Price said.
The scoreless tie was broken in the top of the seventh as lefty reliever Manny Parra took over for Holmberg and gave up a walk and three hits, including Matt Carpenter’s broken-bat, two-run single to right field that scored two runs. Logan Ondrusek allowed a three-run homer to Matt Adams in the top of the ninth.
The Reds have lost six of their last seven games and eight of their last 10 while falling to a season-high 10 games under .500 at 67-77. Trailing the first-place Cardinals by 13 games in the National League Central, the elimination number for the fourth-place Reds in the division is six.
It was the 14th time this season that the Reds have been shut out and the fourth time in the last 17 games.
While working into the eighth inning, Miller gave up only three hits — including two singles from Brandon Phillips. Phillips was erased both times on ground-ball double plays. In the fifth, Devin Mesoraco hit a leadoff double to left field off Miller but was not advanced to another base.
Holmberg did a nice job by putting up zeros himself. He entered with a 2-2 count on the game’s second batter, Jon Jay, as Axelrod strained his oblique on the seventh pitch of the game.
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