Diamondbacks hand Reds 8th consecutive loss

CINCINNATI — Slade Cecconi pitched 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball, Corbin Carroll drove in the game-winning run with an eighth-inning single and the Arizona Diamondbacks hung on to beat Cincinnati 5-4 on Thursday, capping a series sweep and extending the Reds’ losing skid to eight games.

Joc Pederson homered in the first inning for Arizona, which won its fourth straight. Five players drove in runs.

Spencer Steer’s two-out single in the seventh inning tied the game for the struggling Reds, but Carroll’s twoout hit in the eighth brought home former Reds catcher Tucker Barnhart and gave Arizona a lead that stuck.

Diamondbacks closer Paul Sewald struck out Will Benson and Tyler Stephenson and got TJ Friedl on a ground ball to pick up his first save.

Cecconi (2-2) allowed one run and three hits while striking out two. Kevin Ginkel (2-0) pitched a scoreless inning to get the win.

Reds starter Hunter Greene had his streak of 15 1/3 scoreless innings snapped on Pederson’s homer.

Greene allowed three runs and four hits through five innings, striking out six and walking five. Fernando Cruz (1-3) pitched the eighth and took the loss.

Trainer’s room

Reds reliever Ian Gibaut had surgery to address lingering pain in his forearm, and manager David Bell said that the hope is that Gibaut will return this season.

Following two rehab assignments that ended due to forearm discomfort, Gibaut had an AIN (nerve) release.

Last year, Gibaut was the Reds’ most consistent setup reliever. He posted a 3.33 ERA and made 74 appearances, the fifth-most in baseball. Gibaut experienced forearm discomfort during spring training.

Up next

Lefty Andrew Abbott (1-4, 3.32 ERA) was scheduled to take the mound against the Giants on Friday night in the first of a 10-game road trip. Right-hander Logan Webb (3-3, 3.50) was scheduled to start for San Francisco.