Fired up Reds silenced by southpaw in finale

MIAMI -- What is it about left-handed pitchers that Cincinnati hasn’t figured out to this point in 2021?

Marlins left-hander Jesús Luzardo shut down the Reds on one hit over six-plus innings Sunday at loanDepot park and Cincinnati dropped the series finale, 2-1, wasting a quality start from Tyler Mahle.

The Reds have struggled all season long against lefties, so when Marlins right fielder Jesús Sánchez launched a 415-foot two-run homer (110.1 mph exit velocity, 30-degree launch angle) in the first inning off Mahle, it was a problem.

“I was trying to go up and in and left it over the plate -- it ran over the plate, not too far down, but over the plate, right where he wants to hit the ball,” Mahle said.

Slashing just .232/.313/.380 as a team against southpaws coming into the game, the Reds did little to rectify the situation Sunday. Ranked 29th in the Majors with only 240 total hits against left-handers, Cincinnati didn’t get a runner past second base off Luzardo, who struck out eight.

Reds manager David Bell said he believes it’s just a lack of experience against the lefties that has led to the dismal performance against them to this point.

“I think it’s a good thing that, over the next week or 10 days, we’re going to face a lot of left-handers,” Bell said. “I believe we have towards the fewest games vs. left-handed starters on the year. I think that’s a factor. We just haven’t seen a whole lot.

“So it would be great to get going against them because we know we’re going to play big games against left-handed starters. So hopefully in the next week to 10 days we can get into a little bit of a rhythm and get to where we’re feeling just as confident against the left-handed starters as we have against right-handed starters.”

Cincinnati entered the day with a two-game lead over the Padres for the second National League Wild Card spot. The Cardinals -- whom the Reds begin a three-game series with Monday -- fell in walk-off fashion Sunday, keeping their deficit at 3 1/2 games.

It sure looked like things had turned around when Jonathan India opened the game with a ringing double to left-center. But that was as good as it would get. The Reds did not manage another hit off Luzardo, who yielded just one walk and a hit batsman the rest of the way.

The Reds’ frustration boiled over when third baseman Eugenio Suárez was ejected by home-plate umpire Edwin Moscoso after arguing a called third strike that ended the top of the seventh. Bell was also ejected in the ninth inning for arguing balls and strikes.

Bell said the irritation began with Joey Votto’s at-bat in the first inning. A called strike three on a 3-2 pitch with one out and runners on first and second could have changed the inning, and perhaps, the game. Votto was verbally upset during multiple at-bats.

“He gets that call, it’s a different inning, a different at-bat,” Bell said. “And I think Joey knows that. I think that probably was the real frustration.”

Mahle went seven innings, allowing just two runs on four hits. He struck out six and walked two.

Tyler Naquin’s career-high 17-game hitting streak was snapped in somewhat controversial fashion. He reached on an error in the second inning when his grounder skipped under the glove of Marlins second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr., who ranged to his left, but couldn’t come up with the hard-hit grounder.

It could have been ruled a single, but ultimately, wasn’t. Naquin reached base a second time, with a walk, in the eighth.

Cincinnati got a run in the ninth on a sac fly from Votto, scoring India, who opened the inning with a walk.

“We’ve got some big games coming up and we’ve just got to look forward to tomorrow,” said Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson. “That’s all we can worry about right now.”