Dietrich hit record-breaking 6th time in series

MILWAUKEE -- Derek Dietrich saw a 71-mph changeup moving inside on him from Brewers reliever Alex Claudio on Saturday afternoon. Anyone who has seen the Reds' second baseman during this series could predict what would happen next.

Dietrich didn’t budge, and the pitch hit him on the right arm. It was the sixth time he was hit by a pitch in the series, which set a new Major League record.

“I’m not a stranger of getting hit by pitches, but the way it’s been happening this series is just a little bit out of the norm. I don’t think any of them were intentional,” Dietrich said following Cincinnati’s 6-5 loss to the Brewers. “That was a bad changeup up and in. It was kind of tough to see with the shadows there anyway.”

During Friday’s 11-7 win over Milwaukee, Dietrich was hit by pitches three times, and it happened twice more on Thursday during a 7-1 victory. According to Elias, he became the first player to be hit by pitches five times in a series of any length since Washington’s Jake Stahl in 1904.

Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell argued Friday that Dietrich was leaning into the pitches rather than trying to avoid them.

The left-handed Claudio was brought in specifically to face the lefty-hitting Dietrich and threw only two pitches. Brewers fans booed upon the record-breaker. Meanwhile, Dietrich simply removed the protective shield that covered his elbow and put up six fingers in the air as he headed to first base.

“I’ve been trying to make a conscious effort of staying in there, and staying over the plate and getting my best swing off,” Dietrich said. “I think it’s one of those times. Just like you can hit five, six homers in a week, you can get five or six hit-by-pitches in a week.”