Lowder earns 'awesome' first MLB win with scoreless outing

ST. LOUIS -- Rhett Lowder has had an impressive start to his career for the Reds, but one thing had eluded him -- a win.

He pitched just four innings in his debut and left with the game tied in the seventh inning in his second big league start. But on Tuesday, Cincinnati’s No. 2 prospect finally earned a victory in the Reds’ 3-0 win against the Cardinals at Busch Stadium.

“It's pretty cool,” Lowder said. “I mean, every single week I feel like I'm taking something else and just checking it off the list, and it's awesome.”

Lowder (1-1) pitched five scoreless innings, striking out three and allowing just five hits and walking none.

He improved his ERA to 0.59 (one earned run in 15 1/3 innings) and is just the third Reds pitcher since 1893 to allow one run or fewer in each of his first three starts joining Andrew Abbott (2023) and Wayne Simpson (1970).

Lowder avoided trouble in the first after allowing a leadoff single to Brendan Donovan thanks to a 3-6-3 double play, made possible by Ty France laying out to record the out at first.

“He started off the game getting behind a little bit, but he threw strikes when he needed to,” Reds manager David Bell said. “He has good movement on all his pitches. He and Tyler [Stephenson] worked really well together. And again, for a young pitcher [who] only has a few outings in the Major Leagues to keep his composure, and not try to do too much, and just kept making pitches. So, a really well-pitched game.”

Lowder settled in after that, retiring 12 of the final 15 batters he faced.

“I think I used all my pitches pretty good,” Lowder said. “I didn't have everything. I felt a little bit like I was dragging a little bit. So I was just trying to get to my spots and just stay convicted to location and the game plan.”

Lowder added to the impressive string of starts by a makeshift Reds rotation this past week. The 22-year-old right-hander extended the scoreless streak by Cincinnati starters to 22 1/3 innings, with the last run allowed by a Reds starter coming off Fernando Cruz in the first inning Friday against the Mets.

“They're all good at what they do, [and they’re at] different points in their careers,” Bell said of the starters. “But I think it has a lot to do with just teammates trying to pick each other up, doing whatever they have to do, and not trying to do too much. But [also] realizing the situation we're in and kind of just giving everything they have to going out and winning games.”

The Reds had a pair of scoring opportunities in the first four innings, but couldn’t get the big hit off Cardinals starter Andre Pallante (6-8).

Elly De La Cruz walked in the first and stole second and third on the next two pitches, but Tyler Stephenson struck out and TJ Friedl popped out to strand him on the bases.

France singled and Jake Fraley doubled to give the Reds runners on second and third with one out in the fourth, but Pallante got Santiago Espinal looking on a borderline slider and Ahmed Rosario grounded out to spoil the scoring chance.

But the Reds finally broke through in the fifth when Friedl drove in Jonathan India and De La Cruz to make it 2-0 on a single to left-center. France later added to the lead during the frame with a high chopper back to the mound, which allowed Spencer Steer to score from third.

Bell was ejected in the top of the sixth inning for arguing balls and strikes after De La Cruz was rung up on a slider, but the Reds’ bullpen took care of the three-run lead.

Emilio Pagán loaded the bases with no outs in the ninth, but picked up his first save of the season with three consecutive strikeouts to seal the Reds' (71-75) win. The victory clinched the season series against St. Louis for just the second time (2021) in the past 13 seasons.

“I love closing games,” Pagán said. “I love having a chance to be the guy that closes games in a winning scenario. And so to get that opportunity tonight was a blast.”