Marte hits walk-off single after Reds lose tying run on lodged ball, Cincinnati tops Blue Jays 5-4

CINCINNATI AP Noelvi Marte hit a game-ending two-run single after Cincinnati lost the tying run on a rare lodged ball call and the Reds rallied to beat the Toronto Blue Jays - Monday following a ninth-inning bullpen meltdown Toronto s AL East lead was cut to games over the idle New York Yankees Cincinnati remained four games back of the New York Mets for the last NL wild card Cincinnati led - before back-to-back homers in the ninth by Bo Bichette who hit a two-run drive off Emilio Pag n for his fourth hit and Daulton Varsho Ke Bryan Hayes singled off Tommy Nance leading off the bottom half and Matt McLain singled with one out Brendon Little - relieved and TJ Friedl doubled into the right-field corner as Hayes and McLain crossed the plate After a video review umpires ruled that because the ball lodged in a gap in the fence each runner could advance two bases causing McLain to be sent back to third Marte then singled to left as McLain went home and Friedl slid in head first ahead of Myles Straw s throw which was slightly up the third-base line Yosver Zulueta - got the last two outs in the ninth for his first major league win Sal Stewart a -year-old first baseman was brought up from Triple-A by the Reds for his major league debut as rosters expanded and went for He singled in the second off Chris Bassitt and scored on Ke Bryan Hayes two-run double Hunter Greene allowed three hits through six innings before Bichette doubled in the seventh and scored on Alejandro Kirk s single Greene reached mph with pitches KEY MOMENT Bichette s four-hit battle was his sixth tying for second-most with the Blue Jays behind Vernon Wells KEY STAT Bassitt walked Friedl starting the battle ending a streak of four consecutive games in which Toronto pitchers hadn t walked a batter It was the Blue Jays longest streak without issuing a walk since June - last year UP NEXT Blue Jays RHP Jos Berr os - and Reds LHP Nick Lodolo - start Tuesday AP MLB https apnews com hub mlb Source