PHILADELPHIA -- Four batters into the game, the Reds were in a great position on Monday night against the Phillies. They put their first three runners aboard, and had a chance to give Cody Reed a nice cushion in his season debut.
The Reds scored just one run in the first -- on a bases-loaded walk -- and Reed gave up the slim lead by the end of the inning. It turned out to be a tough outing for Reed, and another loss for the Reds, who fell, 6-5, on Monday night and slipped to 2-7 on the season.
A 24-year-old lefty, Reed lasted just three innings in his first start of 2018. He surrendered five runs, though only three were earned, and two of the four hits Reed allowed were home runs.
"It wasn't his best command game," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "A couple of pitches he missed with, got hit out of the ballpark. It was a tough game."
An error by second baseman Scooter Gennett put a runner on in the first, before Reed left a 1-0 fastball over the middle of the plate for Rhys Hoskins, who smoked it into the left-field seats for a two-run homer.
Rookie Scott Kingery hit another homer off Reed -- the first of his career -- in the second inning. The Phillies chased Reed with two more runs in the third, courtesy of a Carlos Santana double and a Maikel Franco sacrifice fly.
The Reds bullpen threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings after Reed's departure, but Kevin Quackenbush gave up the game-deciding home run to pinch-hitter Nick Williams in the eighth.
Reed, whose initial 2018 debut got rained out April 3, faced a lot of deep counts in the 15 batters he faced, and his season debut was over after 73 pitches.
"When I did get ahead in the count, I tried to nitpick. I'd waste two pitches and here I am in a 2-2 count. I even did that to the pitcher," Reed said. "I was trying to compete in the zone. I felt like I made some good pitches and they put some good swings on them."
It's unclear if Reed will remain in the Reds' rotation for his next turn. Left-hander Brandon Finnegan started for Triple-A Louisville on Monday night, as he works his way back from a strained left biceps. Finnegan, who could join the Reds' rotation on Saturday, gave up three earned runs on eight hits and five walks for Louisville on Monday.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Hamilton can't get home: After the Reds tied the game, 5-5, in the sixth inning, Billy Hamilton was racing home with a chance to take the lead. On second base, the speedy Hamilton advanced to third on a wild pitch, and was waved home by third-base coach Billy Hatcher. Phillies catcher Jorge Alfaro quickly retrieved the errant pitch and pitcher Adam Morgan tagged Hamilton out at home, preventing the Reds from taking the lead.

Barnhart's blast: Reds catcher Tucker Barnhart launched his first home run of the season, a two-run blast in the third inning off Ben Lively that tied the game, 3-3. It was a towering shot that went 389 feet and had a 36-degree launch angle, as projected by Statcast™. Barnhart has hit seven home runs in each of his previous two seasons.

"It got us excited again," Price said. "Even though we scored in the first inning, it was pretty disappointing. I think everyone was disappointed we didn't do more in that first."
QUOTABLE
"I don't know how he hit that one." -- Reed, on Kingery's home run

MITEL REPLAY OF THE DAY
Franco's sacrifice fly to center field scored Santana in the third inning to hand the Phillies a 5-3 lead. Hoskins tagged from second and advanced to third on the play, with Hamilton's throw almost beating him to the bag. The Reds challenged the play at third, thinking Cliff Pennington might have tagged Hoskins first. The play stood as called.

WHAT'S NEXT
Homer Bailey (0-2, 4.22 ERA) heads to the mound Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. ET for the Reds. Bailey, the Reds' Opening Day starter, gave up five runs (four earned) in 4 2/3 innings against the Pirates in his last start. Bailey is 1-4 with a 3.97 ERA in 10 career starts against the Phillies.
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