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Reds win series with 4-2 win vs. Brewers

C. Trent Rosecrans
crosecrans@enquirer.com
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Brandon Finnegan pitches to the Milwaukee Brewers during the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Milwaukee.

MILWAUKEE — Reds pitcher Brandon Finnegan limped around the visitor’s clubhouse at Miller Park following Sunday’s 4-2 victory over the Brewers, but he didn’t limp to the finish line of his 2016 season.

Finnegan picked up his 10th win of the season on Sunday in what could be his 31st and final start of 2016 - his first full year as a starter in professional baseball - despite getting hit in the right knee in the second inning.

Brewers center fielder Hernan Perez lined a change-up right back at Finnegan to start the second, and it hit him on the inside of the knee. After just one warm-up pitch under the watch of manager Bryan Price, pitching coach Mack Jenkins and trainer Steve Baumann, Finnegan pronounced himself good. He did nothing over his final four innings to suggest otherwise.

Box score

“He was gimping around between innings and never for a second would have suggested he wanted to come out of that game,” Price said.

Said Finnegan: “There was no way I was going to let them take me out. Luckily it felt good enough for me to push through and make the pitches I need to make.”

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By the fifth inning, though, Finnegan and Price said it was probably best for him to step aside, despite the fact that he hadn’t allowed a run in those five innings and had only thrown 54 pitches.

“I knew it was going to be a battle and I didn't want to get him into any issues after the fifth,” Price said. “He did a lot of great things. He wasn't really in a lot of trouble in that game. Five innings of no-walk baseball, that's pretty impressive and a great way for him - if that is his last start - a great way to finish the season.”

Finnegan admitted the knee started tightening up on him during the game, and afterwards he pointed toward where there was visible swelling on the knee through the pants on his suit.

“It caught me pretty square. Luckily I was able to kind of push through it the last four innings,” Finnegan said. “It’s going to hurt a lot more tomorrow, I’m pretty sure. It’s already swollen. I’m just glad I made it through the start.”

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The Reds handed him a two-run lead in the first with doubles by Scott Schebler and Adam Duvall. The Reds added another in the third on a walk by Jose Peraza, a throwing error by Brewers catcher Martin Maldonado and an RBI single by Schebler.

By the fifth, Finnegan had done enough, and Price handed it over to his bullpen, with Josh Smith pitching around trouble before the Reds added a fourth run in the seventh on an Eugenio Suarez single and a Steve Selsky pinch-hit RBI single.

Jumbo Diaz allowed two runs — one earned — in the seventh, but struck out pinch-hitter Josmil Pinto to end the inning, starting a streak of seven straight Brewers batters striking out to end the game. Blake Wood and Raisel Iglesias struck out each of the three batters they faced in the eighth and ninth innings, respectively.

For Iglesias, it was his fourth save of the season. It was the first time this season he’d appeared in back-to-back games because the team had been careful with his shoulder, which put him on the disabled list earlier this season and necessitated a change in roles from starter to reliever.

“I think we made the right decision to be cautious in how we utilized him in how he came back,” Price said. “He's been available to throw back-to-back. There just hasn't been that many opportunities in which to do so. I thought he looked as good today as yesterday, if not better. I don't think there's any issues in regard to his health at this point in time.”

Finnegan has made the opposite transition, from the bullpen for most of his professional career in Kansas City to the rotation with the Reds.

If he is indeed finished for the season, he will finish his first full pro season as a starter with an 10-11 record and a 3.98 ERA in 172 innings pitched. He finished the season with 84 walks and 145 strikeouts, including four on Sunday.

“If it is (my last start), I’m glad I made it through the season healthy,” Finnegan said. “I’m glad to be able to put up the innings I was able to. I wish it was more but it’s protocol for guys that didn’t have that many innings in years past. I’m glad I’m still here and pitching.”