Chase Burns Must Be The Stopper Again

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Dateline: Cincinnati

Chase Burns is tasked once again to stop the bleeding and turn the Reds bleeding and put them back on the winning road against the Washington Nationals.

His mound opponent is left handed, 30-year old Foster Griffin. He is the former first round pick of the Kansas City Royals in 2014 out of Orlando, Florida.

Burns comes tries to salvage the final game of the series with a 4-1 record and a 2.11 ERA in eight starts. His last start was six inning, one-run stint against the Houston Astros which stopped the Reds eight-game losing streak.

"We asked him to learn fast," Terry Francona said. "He's done that and its fun to watch."

He made one career start against the Nationals. He gave up six runs, five earned on seven hits and two walks in 5 2/3 innings.

Griffin tries to nail down the sweep for Washington with a nearly identical 4-1 record and 2.12 ERA.

Griffin played in Japan for two seasons after he was released from the Toronto Blue Jays after the 2022 season. The Nationals signed him on December 22.

Griffin has allowed just one run in his last three starts with durations of seven, six and seven innings. His last start he allowed two runs, one earned on four hits and one walk in a 3-2 win over the Miami Marlins. He struck out nine. 

It will be his first encounter with the Reds.

The Reds lineup is:

Dane Myers CF

Elly De La Cruz SS

Sal Stewart 1B

Spencer Steer LF

JJ Bleday DH

Blake Dunn RF

Matt McLain 2B

Jose Trevino C

Ke'Bryan Hayes 3B

Washington will attack Burns with:

James Wood RF

Luis Garcia Jr. 1B

Brady House 3B

CJ Abrams SS

Jacob Young CF

Daylen Lile LF

Nasim Nunez 2B

Jorbit Vivas DH

Drew Millas C

Daylen Lile Breaks The Reds In Extra Innings Steer's Drive Just Short

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Dateline: Cincinnati 

Daylen Lile made Tony Santillan pay for a bad pitch while lifting the Washington Nationals to an 8-7 win in 10 innings.

Santillan was spectacular in his first 11 outings, all scoreless. The Reds were 12-2 in his first 14 games. The magic disappeared as quickly as it came. He has given up nine runs in his last five games, all losses.

"You go through periods where you make a bad pitch and then you pay," Terry Francona said. "The other day he threw a breaking ball to a right hand hitter that he hit out. Today, it was too much plate. We've got to get him going because he is important to us. We can't run from it."

Santillan, who had 80 games that helped the Reds to the playoffs last season. Has been making some adjustments but hasn't been able to refine them, enough.

"I'm missing over the plate and they're not missing it," Santillan said. "I've got to be better. The team relies on me to make some big outs. I'm getting better I'm making some adjustments. The last two times I'm picking up some of the adjustments I made but I've got to find the hand with the adjustments we made. The velo has been back to what it's supposed to with the adjustments I made but I've got to be better. I have to execute."

The Reds jumped on Jake Irvin in the first inning. 

Elly De La Cruz singled up the middle with one out. He advanced to second when Sal Stewart backed right fielder, Joey Wiemer against the right field fence. JJ Bleday doubled into the right field corner to send De La Cruz home. 

The key came in Spencer Steer's at bat. Irvin's sixth pitch of the at bat was a called strike three by home plate umpire, Dexter Kelley. Steer challenged and it was overturned. The called strike would have ended the inning. Instead Steer drew a walk. Nathaniel Lowe walked and Tyler Stephenson hit one off the upper deck facade in left for a grand slam. It was Stephenson's third home run of the year and third career grand slam.

Nick Lodolo struck out all three Nationals batters in the first inning but the second inning was completely different as the Nationals got back in the game. 

CJ Abrams doubled to lead off the inning. Jacob Young lined to left. Bleday tried a diving catch but the ball hit off the tip of his glove for a single with Abrams holding at third. Dallen Lile scored Abrams with a fly to left. Joey Wiemer doubled to score Young. With two out, Keibert Ruiz hit his third home run on an 0-2 pitch to make it a one-run game. 

Lodolo has been also missing out over the plate into the hot hitting zone as evident from Ruiz homer with two strikes.

"In the second, I was ahead two strikes and I stayed in the zone," Lodolo said. "In the first inning, I did a good job of expanding it. The second I didn't expand it when I was ahead two strikes."

Washington tied the game on a bases loaded walk to Wiemer in the top of the third. Two walks and Abrams second double of the game set it up.

The Reds took the lead back in their third at bat. Steer singled and Lowe walked for the second time. TJ Friedl hit into a force out at second but Abrams relay to try to double up Friedl went out of play and Steer scored.

Lodolo left after four innings. He allowed five runs on six hits and three walks. He struck out six.

Tejay Antone relieved Lodolo.

The Nationals tied the game against Antone. 

Young dumped a single into short right field. Lile hit a ground single up the middle sending Young to third. Wiemer struck out but pinch hitter Luis Garcia Jr. hit a bouncer to Steer at first. He had no play at the plate and stepped on first for the out. Ruiz grounded to first.

Mitchell Parker pitched three hitless innings with one walk to keep Washington in the game

Brock Burke took over from Antone after two innings. He pitched a 1-2-3 seventh.

Richard Lovelady started the seventh for Washington. De La Cruz opened the inning with a double. Stewart advanced him to third with a ground out. Bleday reached base for the third time with a walk but Steer hit into an inning ending double play.

"We had Steer up with first and third," Francona said. "You felt good about that and it didn't work."

Burke pitched a scoreless eighth, ending it when Stephenson made two successful challenges to strike out James Wood to end the inning.

Orlando Ribalta took over for Washington in the eighth. The Reds went down in order.

Graham Ashcraft relieved for the Reds in the top of the ninth. He walked Curtis Mead but he was caught stealing to end the inning.

Matt McLain doubled off Gus Varland to start the bottom of the ninth. Dane Myers popped up on a bunt attempt. De La Cruz flied out to deep left. Stewart grounded out to short to send the game into extra innings. 

"We didn't get the bunt down. The game would have been different and they probably wouldn't have pitched to Elly. I understand that. When you do things fundamentally well, things have a way of working out," Francona said.

Tony Santillan started the 10th for the Reds with Abrams the ghost runner. Young flied out to center. Abrams held. Lile hit his sixth home run of the season and third of the series to put the Nationals up 8-6.

PJ Poulin came in to try to nail it down for the Nationals. Stewart was the ghost runner. He took third on the strikeout by Bleday. Steer, who hit into a double play to end the threat in the seventh inning that started with a leadoff double, lined a high drive to the top of the left field wall. A fan reached over and caught it. The outfielder pointed right away and second base umpire, Emil Jimenez indicate interference right away, Francona asked for a review but the call stood up.

Instead of a game tying home run, Stewart scored but Steer had to stay at second, awarded a double.

"It looked like they (the umpires) probably got it right," Francona said. "They did everything. They went and looked. It would have been hard to overturn that in my opinion. I wish they would have but it would have been hard."

The Reds dropped to 22-21 on the season. They won their first three extra-inning games but have now lost the last three. They won their first 12 games that were decided by two runs or fewer. They are 1-4 since. They won their first five one-run decisions but are 2-4 since.

It is the law of averages catching up to them.

Nick Lodolo Gets His Second Start Facing Off With Washington's Jake Irvin

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Dateline: Cincinnati

Nick Lodolo will make his second start of the season in an effort to even the three-game series with the Washington Nationals.

He will oppose Nationals right hander Jake Irwin.

Lodolo missed the first 38 games of the season with a blister on his left index finger. 

He started against the Houston Astros on Friday and gave up four runs on five hits and a walk in 5 1/3 innings and took the loss in the Astros 10-0 win. 

Lodolo is 1-2 against Washington with a 4.23 ERA in four lifetime starts but in his last start against them he pitched a complete game shutout on July 23, last season.

Jake Irvin comes in with a 1-4 record with a 5.22 ERA. The 29-year old right hander from Edina, Minnesota was the fourth round pick of the Nationals in the 2018 draft out of the University of Oklahoma.

For his career, Irvins is 23-38 with a 4.96 ERA. Last season he had a 9-13 record and a 5.70 ERA in 33 starts. He led Major League Baseball in runs earned runs (114) and home runs allowed (38).

His last start was a no decision against the Minnesota Twins. He pitched five innings, allowing four runs on eight hits and a walk. In eight starts, he's pitched into the sixth inning, one time. He pitched exactly five innings in six of them with his shortest being a four inning effort.

Irvin has faced the Reds five times to date. He has a 0-1 record with a 5.54 ERA. He has allowed the Reds five home runs in 26 innings.

The Reds lineup:

Will Benson RF

Elly De La Cruz SS

Sal Stewart 3B

JJ Bleday LF

Spencer Steer 1B

Nathaniel Lowe DH

Tyler Stephenson C

TJ Friedl CF

Matt McLain 2B

The Nationals order is:

James Wood LF

Curtis Mead 1B

Brady House 3B

CJ Abrams SS

Jacob Young CF

Daylen Lile DH

Joey Weimer RF

Nasim Nunez 2B

Keibert Ruiz C

Reds Sign Right Handed Starter Chris Paddack Put Rhett Lowder On IL

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Dateline: Cincinnati

The Reds signed Chris Paddack to a free agent contract this afternoon.

The 30-year old native of Austin, Texas was signed as what was expected to be deep starting rotation was dealing with an epidemic of blisters. 

The Reds placed Rhett Lowder on the injured list with a cranky right shoulder. Nick Lodolo, who missed the first 38 games with a blister, will start against the Washington Nationals on Wednesday. Brady Singer recovered from a blister at the end of spring training. He was his on the right ankle in the game on Tuesday night but x-rays were negative. Chase Petty, who made an earlier start in an emergency against the Chicago Cubs on Monday, was removed from his start on Sunday at Louisville with a blister.

Paddack was released by the Miami Marlins on Sunday and spent three days at home before the Reds among other teams called for his services.

He chose the Reds in part to rejoin two of his teammates from the San Diego Padres where he started his career. Paddack was drafted in the eighth round in 2015 by the Miami Marlins. They traded him to the Padres for Fernando Rodney on June 30, 2016.

Paddack broke in with the Padres as a 23-year old in 29 where he had a 9-7 record and 3.33 ERA in 26 starts. 

"I remember when he was a prospect with San Diego," Terry Francona said. 

Paddack was a teammate of current Reds' pitchers, Emilio Pagan and Pierce Johnson. He and Pagan were traded together to the Minnesota Twins in April, 2022.

Paddack has a 32-41 record in 116 major league starts with a 4.79 ERA. Last season pitching for Minnesota and the Detroit Tigers he combined for a 5-12 record and a 5.35 ERA. He led the the American League with 94 earned runs allowed. He was tied for fourth in the Major Leagues with 31 home runs allowed. While he gives up a lot of home runs, he keeps walks to a minimum. For his career he has walked 136 batters in 612 1/3 innings, while striking out 556. It is a more than 5-1 ratio.

He signed with the Marlins as a free agent on February 12 of this year. He made the team but had a poor start. He made six starts. He had an 0-5 record with a 7.63 ERA. He walked 10 batters in 30 2/3 innings. He struck out 27 and surrendered six home runs.

"I'm thankful for this opportunity. You look at my stats to start the season. It's not ideal, right. It's not how you want to start the season but it doesn't define you," Paddack said. "The front office, coaches, players are saying, let's give this guy a chance. We know what he's capable of. So far everyone has welcomed me with open arms."

The Reds weren't the only team to show interest.

"The health of pitchers, I feel it's not a matter of who, it's a matter of when," Paddack said.

That is exactly what the Reds found out the hard way with no fewer than five starters nursing injuries on top of the scare the Reds had with Singer on Tuesday.

"Terry Francona came up to me and told me he was excited to have me here. He broke the ice. I've heard a lot about him," Paddack said. "I've heard nothing but good things about him from all the players. That says a lot about who he is. I'm excited to build a relationship. He shook my hand and told me he was excited for me to be a part of this group. Sometimes we forget especially coming off a season, I've started so far, it means the world to you."

Another factor was the reunion with Pagan and Johnson.

"I know a couple knuckleheads," Paddack said. "Me and Pagan got traded over to the Twins a couple years back. It was a full circle moment. There's a couple guys from Texas in here. I'm excited to pick there brains and so forth."

He is mainly a fastball change up pitcher but has four others he can use. "I experimented with a seventh when I was with the Marlins," Paddock said. "The Marlins called pitches from the dugout. I was open minded but I was new to it. There is some good to it. But I am going to get back with the catchers. Are the other pitches the calibre that I want them to be? No, but I have them."

Paddack was assigned by Francona to start against the Cleveland Indians on Saturday.

"I told him no pressure but we're playing for the Ohio Cup, so damn," Francona joked to lighten the mood. 

"He told me its 'Ohio versus Ohio'. He managed there for a long time," Paddack said. "He put some added pressure there to break the ice."

The Reds had to designate PJ Higgins for assignment to clear a spot on the 40-man roster.

"For his sake, I hope he finds another opportunity. For our sake, I hope he doesn't," Francona said. "He did a good job for us."

Louisville Trinity's Daylen Lile Hits Two Home Runs Brady Singer Bruised

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Dateline: Cincinnati

Daylen Lile hit two home runs in the direction of his home state to help power the Washington Nationals to a 10-2 win to abort the Reds modest two game winning streak. Lile is a 23-year old native of Louisville, Kentucky.

Luis Garcia Jr., fully recovered from a sore wrist, belted two home runs of his own. 

Singer survived the second inning, literally. 

After CJ Abrams led off with a clean ground single to right, Lile sent a 1-0 pitch, 106.7 off Singers right ankle. Abrams came around to third as the infield tried to play the carom. Nasim Nunez tested Singer's ankle with a bunt back to the mound. Singer looked Abrams back to third and threw Nunez out at first. Jose Tena lined out to right. 

The sore ankle made the third a different story for Singer. James Wood hit his 12th home run of the season into the left field stands and Garcia banged his second home run of the season. 

"He was real tender," Terry Francona said. "He got an X-ray that came back fine, which is good. We're going to have to keep an eye on it. He was hurt and he'll never say a word but I knew he was hurt, It is the foot he drives off of. His velocity dipped a little bit."

Lile led the fourth inning with his fourth home run to increase the Nationals' lead to 3-0

Singer was pulled with two outs in the third for Sam Moll to face the left handed hitting, Wood. Wood grounded out with a runner on second base.

Singer pitched 3 2/3 innings allowed three runs on six hits and a walk. The three home runs accounted for the only scoring off him, but he failed to reach the fourth inning for the third time in eight starts.

"I was thinking about the foot a little bit," Singer said. "I was trying to make pitches in. I just try to do the best with what I had. Try to get some innings and give the bullpen a bit of a break."

"He (Singer) takes it seriously," Francona said. "He wants to be reliable and take accountability. I started to worry that he was trying to change his arm angle. I must have asked DJ (pitching coach Derek Johnson) 12 times. Because, you worry about stuff like that."

The Reds loaded the bases on Washington starter, Miles Mikolas. Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart singled to open the inning. JJ Bleday walked. Matt McLain beat a double play relay to drive De La Cruz home. Will Benson walked to reload the bases with one out.

Rookie manager, Blake Butera, pulled Mikolas in favor of Brad Lord to face Tyler Stephenson. Third baseman Brady House booted Stephenson's ground ball to allow Stewart to score and make it a one-run game. Mikolas was charged with one earned runs in 3 1/3 innings. He allowed three hits and two costly walks.

Garcia opened the fifth inning against Moll with his second home run of the game, his third on the season and the fourth multi-home run gam of his career. 

House walked and Abrams singled to end Moll's outing. Luis Mey came in to pitch with two on and no outs. Jacob Young forced Abrams at second but Lile belted his second home run of the game to extend the Nationals' lead to 7-2.

Brady House hit a two-run home run off Tony Santillan. It was House's sixth of the season.

"As a staff we have to attack the strike zone better," Francona said. 

The Nationals scored one last run in the ninth after two outs Nasim Nunez walked and Jose Tena hit a run scoring double.

The Reds added two cosmetic runs in the bottom of the ninth off Zak Kent. Spencer Steer singled. Stewart doubled for his third hit and Bleday drove them in with a single.

Eugenio Suarez Getting Ready Chase Petty Joins The Blister Club

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Dateline: Cincinnati

Eugenio Suarez is hit off the tee today, slowly getting ready to play after an oblique injury put him on the injured list. Suarez will get an MRI on Thursday. If things check out he will go with the team on the road trip to Cleveland and Philadelphia.

"He will hit off the tee today and we'll see how he progresses," Terry Francona said. "He's been taking ground balls every day. From what the trainers have told me, it is just not feeling it. As volume builds, we want to make sure it's healed. We haven't talked to him about a rehab assignment but it's been quite awhile. We haven't decided yet if he will go a rehab."

Chase Petty, who is a candidate along with Jose Franco to replace Rhett Lowder in the rotation, when the Reds' follow through and place him on the injured list with a cranky right shoulder.

Petty pitched 3 2/3 innings in an 8-0 loss to Nashville on Sunday. He allowed three runs on six hits and three walks.

"He had kind of a blister. He bit through it or bit some skin so they took him out," Terry Francona said. "Obviously, they're working through some things."

Jose Franco pitched two scoreless innings with two strikeouts. He is the other candidate to replace Lowder.

The Reds are scheduled to start Nick Lodolo on Wednesday and Chase Burns on Thursday. The start in the first two games in Cleveland are to be determined. 

Brady Singer Takes On Washington Nationals To Keep The Ball Rolling

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Dateline: Cincinnati

Brady Singer will try to keep the momentum going for the Reds, who have won two straight after an eight game slide. Singer is 2-2 with a higher than normal, 5.63 ERA which is about one run per game higher than his normal ERA. He will face the Washington Nationals, Miles Mikolas.

Singer has not been dominant but he has kept the Reds in games. Over his last five starts, he has pitched into the sixth inning in four of them which includes two quality starts. In his last effort, Singer allowed four runs to the Chicago Cubs in six innings. He allowed six hits and a walk, while striking out six in a game the Reds lost in 10-innings.

He has two career starts against the Nationals in his career with an 0-1 record and 11,05 ERA. He last faced them on July 21, 2025 in Washington. He lasted just 2 1/3 innings, allowing seven runs on five hits and two walks.

The Reds have a history with Mikolas through his seven seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals. The Nationals signed the 37-year old righthander to a free agent contract at the beginning of spring trainins.

Mikolas has a 1-3 record with a 7.44 ERA. He picked up his lone win this season in his last start on May 6 against the Minnesota Twins. He put together his longest outing with 5 1/3 innings allowing two earned runs on three hits and no walks. He gave up a home run to Matt Wallner which ended his day.

The veteran in his 11th season has faced the Reds 23 times, including 21 starts. He owns a 6-9 record with a 5.45 ERA against Cincinnati. 

Mikolas will face:

TJ Friedl CF

Spencer Steer 1B

Elly De La Cruz SS

Sal Stewart DH

JJ Bleday LF

Matt McLain 2B

Will Benson RF

Tyler Stephenson C

Ke'Bryan Hayes 3B

Singer's task is:

James Wood RF

Luis Garcia Jr. 1B

Brady House 3B

CJ Abrams SS

Jacob Young CF

Daylen Lile LF

Nasim Nunez 2B

Jose Tena DH

Keibert Ruiz C

Atlanta Braves Legacy Faces Mortality With Bobby Cox And Ted Turner

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Dateline: Cincinnati

Bobby Cox and Ted Turner were three years apart in age and died three days apart.

Cox was a player and manager. Turner was an entrepreneur ahead of his times. Turner was born in Cincinnati.

Cox, who passed away on Saturday (050926) at the age of 84,  was a native of Tulsa, Oklahoma. His family moved to California and he graduated from Selma High School in Selma, California, near Fresno. 

times. 

 The infielder was signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1959, picked up on waivers by the Chicago Cubs, traded to the Atlanta Braves and finally traded to the New York Yankees. He made his debut with the Yankees on April 14, 1968. He played 132 games for the Yankees as a third baseman, hitting .229 with seven home runs. He played 85 games with them in 1969, hitting .215 with two home runs. He was a teammate of Micky Mantle and played under Ralph Houck.

The Yankees hired Cox to manage in their minot league system in 1971.

Cox took two turns as manager of the Atlanta Braves from 1978 through 1981. Cox replaced Dave Bristol, who was fired with a 60-100 record in 1977. Turner himself managed one game and Vern Ruhle finished the season. He had one winning season with the Braves, an 81-80 record in 1980. 

Ted Turner brought him back to the Braves after four season as the manager of the Toronto Blue Jays to be the team's general manager. He drafted Hall of Fame third baseman, Larry (Chipper) Jones. He traded a veteran Doyle Alexander for a promising minor league pitcher, John Smaltz, who is also a Hall of Famer. 

Cox led the Blue Jays to a playoff berth in 1985 finishing on top of the American League East with a 99-62 record. It was after that season that Turner hired Cox. When Russ Nixon got off to a 25-40 start. Cox came out of the front office to take over. The Braves were 40-57 under Cox.

In his first full season at the helm, Cox started a string of 14 consecutive division championships in complete seasons. (1994 strike shortened season finished second). The Braves won pennants in 1991 and 1992, the World Series in 1995. They followed up with pennants in 1996 and 1999.

Cox managed the Braves to 100 wins or more in six seasons, including three in a row from 1997 thru 1999. The 1998 team won 106 games. He finished with 2,504 wins as a manager in 29 seasons, good for fourth on the all-time list.

Reds manager Terry Francona remembered Cox when the two were rivals during Francona's first shot at managing the Philadelphia Phillies. 

"It must have been my first year," Francona recalled. "They like F, I mean GD, F beating us. We were out on the field and I asked, 'can I talk to you tomorrow'. He said come on over. I sat in his office. I was in full uni (form) and he was smoking a cigar. He had shorts on, working a cross-word puzzle. I said, 'I'm not sure I'm doing this right. I'm kind of worried.' He said, 'let me ask you a quetion. How many times have you seen me make a trip to the mound this series?' I said,'I can't remeber you making a trip.' He said, 'You're pitching stinks. We both laughed. He told me do the best you can with what you've got. You'll be alright. I've been through it. Now I can sit here and do my puzzle and watch Glavine and Maddux."

Cox, Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine were all inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York in 2014. The pitcher Cox brought to the Braves through trade, Smoltz, was inducted in 2015. Chipper Jones was elected to it in 2018.

Cox was a people person.

“You know how you hear people talk about him. We weren’t best friends. I respected the hell out of him, I just didn’t know him that well. The year I was with ESPN we had gone through there, the year they were at Disney. He was a little older and was a special assistant by then. I didn’t see him. He found out o was there and he jumped in a golf cart and came out to our truck just to say hello. That meant a lot.”

Houston Astros manager, Joe Espada, heard the news. 

“I met Bobby Cox when I was coaching with the Marlins,” Espada said. “I had a chance to listen to stories from Chipper (Jones) and those guys about how intense, how good of a teacher he was. How winning was so important when you did it the right way. I heard how he brought people together. He was one of the greatest managers in the history of this game. My best wishes to his family. We lost a really good one. One of the best.” 

When the well respected pitching coach of the Braves, Lee Mazzone, left for the Baltimore Orioles in 2005, Cox hired Colerain High School graduate, Roger McDowell as his pitching coach.

Ted Turner was born in Cincinnati but his father moved his billboard sign business to Atlanta.

Turner was an astute entrepreneur who saw the advantage of the emerging cable TV business. He bought a low power UHF station WTBS and took advantage of emerging FCC rules allowing stations to send signals to the cable companies. 

Next he bought the Atlanta Braves and the Atlanta Hawks to provide programming and build a nationwide following for both teams.

In the 80’s the Braves were known as America’s team. Major League Baseball felt that the sport would be cheapened by such mass exposure but Turner should be credited partly for resurgence in the popularity of baseball.

The Braves struggled in the standings in spite of its vast new audience. Turner brought Bobby Cox back from Toronto and made him general manager. 

Turner was right again. Cox through astute drafting and trades built a core of young players, with three Hall of Fame pitchers plus Chipper Jones, Cincinnati native David Justice, Fred McGriff and Dale Murphy. Then midway through the 1990 season, Cox came out of the front office and replaced Cincinnati native, Russ Nixon as the on field manager.

Reds Streak To Second Win On Andrew Abbott's All-Star Like

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Dateline: Cincinnati

Andrew Abbott turned in his all-star like performance for the third game in a row and procured a winning series over the Houston Astros, 5-0.

He allowed three harmless singles in six innings, walked just one and struck out five. 

"He looked Abbottesque. He spun it pretty good. He located way more fastballs," Francona said. "He got comfortable and we got him a couple runs and he made it stand."

Yordan Alvarez was a strikeout victim three times. 

You're not going to see hat very often," Francona said. "That kid is some kind of hitter. You kind of marvel. He doesn't strike out very much. He got him with the same pitch. You're not going to see that very much."

Abbott has allowed two runs in his last 17 2/3 innings.

"I feel like I'm getting there. You never want to be complacent. I have a few things to iron out," Abbott said. "Today was a good step. When I struggled, I couldn't land my off speed stuff which made me a one dimensional pitcher. Today was one of the first days I could get stuff in the zone and then go out of the zone with it. He (Alvarez) is a great hitter and I don't want to make a mistake to him but I'm going to play to my strengths. For me it was getting ahead and then make him chase my pitch."

The Reds took advantage of Houston starter, Kai-Wei Teng. The Astros hurler longest outing was three innings. He shut the Reds down for three innings but they broke through in the fourth.

Elly De La Cruz opened the inning with one of his three hits a line single to left center. Sal Stewart doubled with De La Cruz stopping at third. JJ Bleday crashed a line drive past Christian Walker at first base and down the right field line. By the time Cam Smith was able to dig it out of the corner, Bleday was on his way to third. Tyler Stephenson singled to score Bleday. Matt McLain walked and Ke'Bryan Hayes singled to load the bases. Will Benson forced Stephenson at the plate. Spencer Steer hit a long fly ball to the base of the center field wall but Brice Matthews caught it for the final out.

"Bleday went to Triple A, and did very well, got hot and picked up where he left off. Which doesn't always happen, as we've seen," Francona said. "He's a really good fastball hitter. He got a 3-0 breaking ball and stayed through it enough to keep it fair. He's very dangerous and can handle some lefties. He's given us a big lift. We've kind of had him all over the lineup."

De La Cruz led off the fifth inning with a single against AJ Blabaugh. Bleday, who reached base three times, walked. With Blake Dunn batting. De La Cruz and Bleday stole a base on successive pitches, Dunn walked to load the bases and McLain walked to force in the Reds' fourth run.

"It was awesome. Yesterday, I feel like I had good at bats but couldn't make anything happen with the bases loaded," Bleday said. "Today I wanted to be aggressive and put some runs on the board for those guys. I think you have to keep your foot on the gas pedal in those situations (3-0 count). You're thinking you're going to be getting something in the zone. You might as well take advantage of it if you're feeling it. If it's not in window, don't swing."

Steer homered for the seventh time this season off Cody Bolton.

"The one to center was such a good swing. It would have really stretched the game out," Francona said. "Because he stayed on that ball, they throw one in and he keeps it fair."

TeJay Antone, Sam Moll and Graham Ashcraft pitched clean innings to seal the shutout.

Andrew Abbott Tries To Create Momentum For Reds Against Astros

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Dateline: Cincinnati

Andrew Abbott will face the Houston Astros trying to capture the third and deciding game of this three-game series.

Abbott is 1-2 with a 5.13 ERA in his eight starts, the last two were good ones. He earned his first win against the Colorado Rockies with six innings of six-hit, two run baseball. He worked 5 2/3 innings in his last start against the Chicago Cubs on May 5 with no runs on four hits, four walks and four strikeouts. The Reds lost 3-2 in 10 innings.

Abbott made one start against the Astros in his career. He was the winner in a 2-1 win on June 16, 2023. He pitched six scoreless innings on four hits and two walks.

His mound opponent is Kai-Wei Teng who is 1-2 with a 2.35 ERA in 14 appearances with one start. It is expected to be a bullpen day for Houston. Teng, 27, came to the Astros in a trade with the San Francisco Giants on January 30, 2026 for a minor leaguer, Jancel Villarreol. 

His last start was against the Baltimore Orioles on April 28. He pitched three innings, allowing two runs on five hits, no walks.

Teng has never faced the Reds.

The Reds lineup:

Will Benson RF

Spencer Steer 1B

Elly De La Cruz SS

Sal Stewart DH

JJ Bleday LF

Tyler Stephenson C

Blake Dunn CF

Matt McLain 2B

Ke'Bryan Hayes 3B

Houston's lineup:

Jose Altuve 2B

Yordan Alvarez DH

Isaac Paredes 3B

Christian Walker 1B

Cam Smith RF

Brice Matthews CF

Zach Cole LF

Nick Allen SS

Cesar Salazar C