Phillies fall on home run by Ivan DeJesus Jr.

CINCINNATI - Marlon Byrd suffered a fractured wrist last Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park, which prompted a promotion for another player with Phillies ties. The Cincinnati Reds summoned Ivan De Jesus Jr., the son of the shortstop the Phillies acquired in the infamous 1982 trade that sent Ryne Sandberg and Larry Bowa to the Chicago Cubs.

It wasn't until the series opener Monday night that the younger De Jesus, a 28-year-old infielder, earned a start. With Sandberg, the Phillies' manager, and Bowa, their bench coach, looking on from the opposing dugout at Great American Ball Park, De Jesus hit his first major-league home run, off of Cole Hamels no less, to send the Phillies to a 6-4 loss.

The loss was the Phillies' first ever against the Reds with Hamels on the mound. The 1-1 cutter that found a home in the left-field seats cemented an off night for the Phillies' ace. The 31-year-old lefthander was charged with five runs over six innings, snapping his streak of six consecutive outings of seven innings or more while allowing two runs or fewer.

De Jesus Jr.'s sixth-inning home run broke a 3-3 tie. Zack Cozart's eighth-inning shot off Justin De Fratus provided more padding for flame-throwing closer Aroldis Chapman.

"It's major-league baseball. You're not going to have the best luck all the time," said Hamels, who entered the night with a 1.59 ERA over 13 regular-season starts against Cincinnati. "You have to battle, and no matter what the circumstances are you just have to be able to get through and try to put yourself and your team into a situation [to win].

"You don't know how many runs you're going to be able to score off [Mike Leake]. We were able to score a few runs. I just wasn't able to hold it down."

Leake earned the win five days after earning a no-decision in a game in which he no-hit the Phillies through 62/3 innings. With 10 hits through six innings Monday, including four for extra bases, the Phillies experienced earlier and better success against the Reds' No. 2 starter, but not enough.

They scored three of their runs over the game's first four innings. Maikel Franco added three more hits to raise his average to .275. Ryan Howard's first-inning double drove in a run. Carlos Ruiz' fourth-inning single plated two and knotted the score at 3. The Phillies catcher scored a ninth-inning run on a wild pitch from Chapman.

De Jesus added a double, his first in the majors since 2012, in the eighth inning. His father, who was at the game, was the centerpiece in the deal often regarded as the worst trade in Phillies history. He played just three seasons in Philadelphia and hit .249. Sandberg, then considered a throw-in on the trade, went on to become a Hall of Fame second baseman.

Monday's was just De Jesus Jr.'s 50th major-league appearance since the Los Angeles Dodgers drafted him in the second round of the 2005 draft. He knows Bowa from his years in the Dodgers system; Bowa was Joe Torre's third-base coach from 2007 to 2010. Sandberg remembers De Jesus from managing in the minor leagues.

"Yeah, we're all connected," Sandberg said. "[That's] going back quite a few years."

De Jesus' home run was one of 11 Reds hits. On the fateful pitch, Hamels and Ruiz were trying to induce a double-play ground ball.

"I think if the pitch had some depth on it, it probably would've gone right to Franco [at third base] and we would've been looking at a different story," Hamels said. "But I just didn't throw it with the right type of execution."

@jakemkaplan