Dietrich's goodwill bunting sparks Reds' rally

CINCINNATI -- “It was just a bunt,” Reds pinch-hitter Derek Dietrich said, but he probably knew better.

A game-changing sixth-inning rally for the Reds against the Braves on Tuesday came from a unique catalyst -- a shift-busting bunt single by Dietrich. It was one of only two hits in the inning, during which Cincinnati sent 10 men to the plate and scored four runs to key its 7-6 victory over Atlanta at Great American Ball Park. José Peraza’s two-run double provided the go-ahead run.

“You win baseball games a lot of different ways,” Dietrich said. “It’s funny to see myself on the helping side that way, but I’ll take it.”

The Braves scored three runs in the top of the sixth to take a 4-3 lead against Reds starter Sonny Gray, while also taking advantage of some poor outfield defense. Then a defensive mistake bit Atlanta when Jose Iglesias reached on third baseman Josh Donaldson’s fielding error with one out in the bottom of the sixth.

Next came Dietrich, a power hitter who had bunted just three times over his entire career -- with one hit back in 2015 with the Marlins. The Braves' defense shifted to the right side for the lefty hitter, leaving much of the left side wide open.

“[Donaldson] started in close and as the at-bat got started and the catcher came back from the mound visit, he moved off. I was like, ‘I’m going to put it down here,’” Dietrich said. “You’ve got to do what you’ve got to do. They were giving it to me.”

On Atlanta starting pitcher Kevin Gausman’s 92-mph first-pitch fastball, Dietrich took advantage by laying down a perfect bunt on the grass towards the exposed left side. Gausman retrieved the ball with zero chance to make a play as Dietrich reached safely.

“About two weeks ago, my Dad was like, ‘Are you going to try and lay down a bunt with the shift like that?’ I’m like, ‘You’re killing me. Usually you give me some hitting tips that are good. I don’t know. I haven’t bunted in a while.’ I surprised myself.”

Cincinnati first-base coach Delino DeShields must have been on a similar wavelength as Dietrich’s father. DeShields summoned Dietrich to participate in bunting drills ahead of Tuesday’s batting practice.

What good timing that proved to be.

“I looked at him and was thinking to myself, ‘That’s one less chance to hit a home run.’ He was like, ‘I will see you out there at 3,’” Dietrich explained. “We went out with the guys and I think I put 15 down right on the line. In my experience, I haven’t practiced it often. But when I do, I usually have a pretty good feel for it.”

The Reds signed Dietrich after Spring Training was already underway to be a bench component who could change a game with a home run. Of his five homers this season, three have been for the lead in Cincinnati victories.

That made the decision to bunt that much more unexpected, and unselfish. It was also Dietrich’s decision alone, as Reds manager David Bell said it did not come from a sign out of the dugout.

“What a great play,” Bell said. “We all wonder why guys don’t do that more. I get the reasons. No. 1, it’s not easy to do unless it’s something you’re doing a lot. You definitely have to practice it. A lot of times, the situation doesn’t call for it. You want them to take their at-bat. In that case, it was the best play there to try and win the game. As it turned out, it was a big play in the game. A smart play, the technique was great. Everything about it was really good.”

The inning’s other hit came when Peraza, the next batter, slashed a two-run double past Donaldson down the left-field line to give Cincinnati a 5-4 lead. Peraza, who snapped a 0-for-24 skid on Saturday, had his first RBIs since Opening Day.

“More than anything, I was happy for Peraza to get that big knock,” Dietrich said. “It was huge for us and really good for him. He’s been hitting the ball better as of late.”

Gausman exited and reliever Jesse Biddle walked three batters (one intentionally), with pinch-hitter Phillip Ervin’s bases-loaded walk forcing home a run. Yasiel Puig, who slugged a two-run homer in the first inning, added a sacrifice fly that proved to be a much-needed insurance run.

Batting a Major League worst .201 as a club this season, the Reds haven’t solved their offensive woes yet. But Bell felt the sequence in the bottom of the sixth was impressive.

“Just a lot of good at-bats,” Bell said. “This is what we believe in. We’re not always going to score a certain amount of runs. I think tonight was a really good sign. We saw a lot of pitches, had good at-bats and had some big hits.”

Cincinnati has won four of its last five games and improved its record to 9-13.

“We responded with four. That was huge,” said Gray, who gave up four runs (three earned) with nine strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings. "It was clearly the turning point of the game. That’s a big win for us to come home and win the first game of a series. That’s what we needed.”