INSTANT REACTION: Reds Fall Apart Late, Lose to Cardinals 6-5 in 11 Innings

CINCINNATI -- In a game that featured several twists and turns late, the Reds couldn't finish and fell to the St. Louis Cardinals 6-5 in 11 innings Saturday.

The Reds led 5-2 in the bottom of the eighth inning, but another implosion by their bullpen proved costly once again.

Combined with not being able to bring the free runner home from second in extra innings, the result was another crushing one-run loss for the Reds and another missed opportunity against their arch-rival Cardinals.

The Reds are 39-38 on the season and three games behind the Cardinals in the National League Central following a second-straight loss in St. Louis.

Here are our instant takeaways from Saturday afternoon's 6-5 loss to the Cardinals:

Bullpen Implodes ... Again

If you thought Friday's performance from the bullpen was bad, especially in the seventh inning, Saturday's was even worse.

Leading 5-2 in the bottom of the eighth, with two outs and no Cardinals on base, right-handed reliever Tony Santillan unraveled by allowing four straight singles that brought the Cardinals within 5-4.

Closer Emilio Pagan got the final out of the eighth, but he gave up a leadoff home run to Nolan Arenado in the bottom of the ninth that tied the game.

Even though Pagan, Scott Barlow and even Chase Petty gave the Reds chanced to extend the game and, subsequently, win it, it doesn't excuse blowing a three-run lead in the bottom of the eighth with two outs and nobody on base.

These are the games the bullpen has to finish. When they give any team, let alone the Cardinals, life, the result is bound to be crushing. It was that kind of result on Saturday.

The Reds bullpen was really good up until the Cardinals eighth-inning rally. Through the first 7 2/3 innings, the Reds allowed just two earned runs on two hits. Those two runs and two hits came in the first inning.

Reds Fail to Score in Extras

For the sixth time in seven extra innings games this season, the Reds couldn't score. With a free runner on second base to begin the inning, the Reds couldn't bring him home.

Cincinnati went down in order in the top of the 10th, but it was the 11th that was even more crushing. The Reds free runner, Spencer Steer, moved to third on a wild pitch with nobody out. Eventually, Matt McLain struck out with runners on second and third and two outs.

Good teams find ways to score the free runner in extra innings, and sometimes more. The Reds have struggled just to get one run on the board in extra innings this season. It's a trend that has to change as the season nears the All-Star break.

Elly's Eventful Day

Another reason why Saturday's loss is so crushing is we really should be talking about Elly De La Cruz and what he was able to do Saturday.

De La Cruz was seen vomiting in left field in the bottom of the third inning. Jim Day reported on the TV broadcast that De La Cruz was a little winded after hitting a triple in the top of the third and trying to score on a wild throw into the hot corner.

On a day where temperatures soared to 96 degrees at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, De La Cruz may have not only been winded but a little woozy. That may have led to him vomiting on the field, but he'd more than fine after trainers went out to check on him.

In the top of the seventh, De La Cruz clocked a two-out, two-run home run 435 feet to center field to give the Reds a 4-2 lead. Clearly, the 23-year-old shortstop was fine.

Notes and Observations

• The Reds went just 1-15 with runners in scoring position with nine runners left on base.
• The Cardinals went 4-11 with runners in scoring position and left eight runners on base.
• Brent Suter opened the game for the Reds on the mound and gave up a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning. He kept the Cardinals off the board the rest of the way through his two innings of work. Suter threw 31 pitches, 19 for strikes.
• Cardinals starter, and former Red, Sonny Gray went 5 innings and allowed just one earned run on five hits, two walks and struck out five. Only 43 of his 79 pitches were strikes.

On Deck

The series finale in St. Louis is Sunday afternoon at 2:15 E.T. on FanDuel Sports Network Cincinnati and 700WLW.

Left-hander Andrew Abbott (6-1, 1.84 ERA) will get the ball for the Reds against Cardinals right-hander Miles Mikolas (4-4, 4.35 ERA).

Abbott started against the Cardinals back on May 1, going four innings and allowing just one unearned run on three hits and four walks while striking out three. That game featured a rain delay that shortened Abbott's start to just those four innings. He threw 74 pitches, 44 of them for strikes.

Mikolas started against the Reds back on Aoril 30th. It was the first game of a doubleheader the Cardinals would sweep, and the right-hander went 5 1/3 shutout innings with just three hits, no walks and four strikeouts. He threw 77 pitches, 52 of them for strikes.