It was as tight as major league baseball gets Friday night, but unfortunately the Reds ended up on the short end, dropping their game against the Cardinals, 1-0. Reliever Ryan Helsley made the final difference for St. Louis as the closer on the mound, racking up his 29th save, and Alec Burleson drove in the game’s only run. Helsley pitched a 1-2-3 9th inning, that 3rd one coming on a long fly hit by Cincy’s Stuart Fairchild, that could’ve kept the Reds alive– but left fielder Brendan Donovan managed to pull that ball in just as it looked to be leaving the park, with a leap in front of the wall, taking the Reds’ last chance away, locking down the St. Louis win. And it’s not like Frankie Montas was bad, pitching for the Reds– he only allowed the game’s single run, on 2 hits, in 6 innings of work. Andre Pallante got the St. Louis victory, keeping Cincinnati scoreless over 5 1/3 innings, including getting Elly De La Cruz to ground out with the bases loaded in the 5th. So this afternoon, a pair of right-handers square off– the Reds’ Carson Spiers with his 3.45 ERA, against the Cards’ Sonny Gray and his 2.81. We have the broadcast set to arrive on your radio at 1:45 today, so join us for all the action, on the Sports Voice, 103.9, WRBI.
Nathan Christensen starts his new job Monday– he’s the incoming Athletic Director at Indiana State in Terre Haute. Christensen says he knows the Sycamore community’s looking for winners, something proven by the run ISU men’s basketball made last season. Christensen arrives in Terre Haute from another Missouri Valley Conference school, South Dakota State.
It was another big swim meet this week for Milan Aquatics. They knocked off Batesville in a final summer regular-season dual meet, 864 points to 618. Both teams are taking part in today’s SEISA conference championship meet at Greensburg.