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Not even their lucky charm could stop the Cincinnati Reds from losing their sixth straight game Tuesday night at the Great American Ball Park.
And he wasn’t so lucky.
Though Luke Weaver was only 2-2, the Reds had won all eight of his last eight starts, despite his 8.66 earned run average in those games.
But he was literally thrown out of the game when Michael Conforto hit a line drive off his left elbow in the third inning.
It ended in a wild 11-10 loss to the San Francisco Giants after they lost 4-2 the resumption of suspended play the previous Monday.
Not even 10 runs could result in a win.
Not even 14 hits could lead to a win.
Not even four home runs could lead to a win.
Not even a dramatic three-run home run from Christian Encarnacion-Strand, his first major league hit that tied the game 8-8, could result in a win.
Not even Joey Votto’s career 350th home run, which tied the Reds in one run in the seventh inning, could result in a win.
They didn’t win because they couldn’t stop Wilmer Flores from smashing baseball all over GABP. He hit two home runs, one sacrifice flight, drove five runs and scored three points.
That included a home run, two doubles and two RBI in the suspended game.
They didn’t win because they beat No. 8 batsman Brett Wisely twice and he scored three runs.
They didn’t win because the Reds’ pitchers scored eight points and scored three.
In fact, it was two walks that finally sealed Cincinnati’s fate, though the Giants scored 11 hits and hit three home runs.
It was 8-8 after six innings and Buck Farmer allowed a walk and conceded a two-out single. Manager David Bell brought in Tony Santillan.
He went wisely to fill bases and went with No. 9 hitter Casey Schmitt to force a run that gave the Giants a 9-8 lead.
Luis Matos, who came on in the fifth inning, hit a two-run single to make it 11-8, a lead the Reds almost, but not quite, reversed.
For the Reds, the home run from Encarnacion Beach was the highlight of the evening.
Jake Fraley hit a two-run home run in the first, but when it was his turn in the fifth against Giants left-hander Sean Manaea, Bell made a bold move.
He sent the raw rookie to the pinch hit, his fourth major league hit. Giants manager Gabe Kapler countered by bringing in right-hander Mauricio Llovero.
There were two players in and one out, with the Reds trailing 8-5. The count went to 0 and 2 and Encarnacion Beach fouled once. He then saw a hanging glider traveling at 84 mph and cold cocked it 426 feet into the upper deck in left field.
The Reds had a chance in the ninth game against Premiere closer Camilo Doval. Jonathan India hit a broken bat grounder to land in third place with an out. Votto counted at full speed, placing the possible tie in second and the winning run in first place.
But it ended when Spencer Steer hit a double play for Doval’s 30th save in MLB.
The stopped game continued into the 10th inning, and the Reds took a game-winning chance in the ninth inning.
Ella De La Cruz opened the inning with a hard-fought 3-and-2 walk after fouling two full-count pitches.
He shot up to second and got kicked out, but the replay/review nullified the call. He was safe and was the potential winning run in second place with no outs.
And pitcher Tyler Rogers picked him up.
Ian Gibaut started the 10th and Joc Pederson shot a full-count pitch over the head of left fielder Will Benson, scoring the automatic runner.
Pederson was third when Gibaut hit the button on Wilmer Flores’ bat and it splattered to first baseman Joey Votto. Pederson groundballed second baseman India to make it 4-2.
Matt McLain was the automatic runner at the bottom of 10th and didn’t score. Camilo Doval, the San Francisco closer, went out three times in a row, beating India and Votto and ending the game.
The Reds have now lost six straight and the Giants have won seven straight.
WEDNESDAY GAME
Giants at Reds, 7:10 p.m., Bally Sports Ohio, 700, 1410