Outfielder’s two-out blunder in the ninth inning costs Reds the game in most brutal fashion

The Reds were handed one of their most brutal losses of the season on Thursday.

With Cincinnati holding a 5-4 lead over the Cardinals with two outs in the ninth inning, St. Louis shortstop J.J. Wetherholt lofted a ball to left-center field, which appeared to be an easy out for center fielder Dane Myers to track down.

But as Myers drifted toward the ball while calling off left fielder TJ Friedl, the ball deflected off his glove and rolled back to the warning track, allowing the Cardinals to score two runs and regain the lead.

After throwing the misplayed ball back into the infield, Myers appeared dumbfounded while crouching in the outfield.

The Cardinals’ offense then exploded with another four runs in top half of the ninth before the Reds responded by putting four across in the bottom half.

Myers owned up to the blunder while speaking to reporters. PNC

Cincinnati’s comeback attempts were ultimately foiled after Matt McLain hit a hard line drive to St. Louis outfielder Jordan Walker with the bases loaded to end the game, with the Cardinals sealing the 10-9 victory.

Myers owned up to the blunder while speaking to reporters, saying that he and Friedl had talked about plays in the gap beforehand.

“Shaded over a good bit. We had talked before the play. Anything in that gap with how we were shaded was supposed to be mine,” Myers said, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. “So, I know the sun may have been tough.

Myers appeared dumbfounded while crouching in the outfield after throwing the ball back into the infield. PNC

“Pretty loud for the last out of a game. I called him off and just didn’t make the play.”

Reds skipper Terry Francona likened Myers’ game-altering error to a simple baseball mistake.

“TJ looked like he was fighting the sun and I was kind of glad that Myers called him off,” Francona said. “Just didn’t look it into his glove. Just glanced off.”

Thursday’s loss gives the Reds a 61-67 record, and they sit seven games out of the final National League wild-card spot with just over a month left in the regular season.