Chase Burns Earns His Franchise Title

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Dateline: Cincinnati 

Chase Burns, the franchise, kept the Reds’ heads above water fashioning a 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.

It snapped a five-game winning streak the Phillies built.

 The Reds keep their heads above water at 25-24. The Phillies have an identical 25-24 record.

Trea Turner hit his fifth home run of the season with two outs in the third to break a scoreless tie.

Elly De La Cruz opened the fourth with a triple off Luzardo. Spencer Steer hit a high chop over the mound. Bryson Stott fielded it but De La Cruz held and no one covered first. Sal Stewart walked after getting a called strike three overturned. Dane Myers flied out foul to Aroldis Garcia in the right field corner. De La Cruz scored the others moved up. JJ Bleday hit a sacrifice fly to put the Reds in front, 2-1.

The Reds got no big hits in situations that could have broken the game open, testing Burns’ resolve.

The Reds loaded the bases with no outs for the second time in the seventh against Tanner Banks. JJ Bleday doubled to open the frame. Blake Dunn, among the fastest players in the Reds organization, beat out a ground ball to first base. The ball was thrown behind the pitcher covering an the Reds had runners on second and third with no outs. Tyler Stephenson, who reached base all for trips to the plate, walked to load the bases. Ke’Bryan Hayes, who hit into two double plays, hit a slow roller to drawn in Edmundo Sosa at shortstop to force Bleday at the plate. Matt McLain, facing Jonathan Bowlan hit a check swing slow roller to Brice Harper at first base. Harper threw home to attempt the force out on Dunn. His speed made it close and home plate umpire Will Little called him out on a close play. Manager Terry Francona challenged and the call was overturned. De La Cruz walked to force in the final run of the game.

The Reds were 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position but neither of the hits drove in a run. All four runs were driven in by players who did not get a hit. There were two sacrifice flies, a fielder’s choice and a walk to drive in runs.

Burns retired the last 10 batters he faced, five of them struck out. Two of them took called third strikes after successful challenges by Stephenson.

Burns allowed three hits and no walks in six innings. He struck out nine to match his season high. His record improved to 6-1 with a 1.83 ERA.

The Reds’ bullpen has been a mess for two weeks but this game they were nearly perfect. Pierce Johnson walked Alec Bohm but retired the next three, one on a diving catch of Garcia’s line drive by McLain and the other two by strikeout.

Sam Moll pitched a perfect eighth. 

Tony Santillan, who had a tough loss on a blown save against the Washington Nationals, completed his second save of the year. One on a foul out to the speedy Dunn, who made a great running catch in foul territory. Harper struck out swinging. Bohm ended the game charged with a strikeout when another Stephenson challenged resulted in an overturned ball call to seal the Reds’ win.

It was a bad night for Little. He was overturned with an out call at home. Stephenson challenged three ball calls that were overturned. Stewart got one strike call overturned but lost another challenge. Garcia got a strike call overturned for the Phillies.

Reds Send SOS To Chase Burns

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Dateline: Cincinnati

The 23-year old the players call “Franchise” is needed once again.

The Reds have not been below .500 this year and nearly 1/3 into the season, they need to defeat the Philadelphia Phillies to Guy keep that true.

Burns has been in this position in his in three starts this month. On May 3, the Reds bullpen had been abused by the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Reds needed a deep start. Burns gave them one. He pitched into the 8th inning finishing with seven scoreless innings. The Reds offense couldn’t find the plate in the 1-0 loss but the bullpen got its breather.

Burns allowed one run in six innings to stop the Reds eight game losing streak against the Houston Astros and six scoreless against the Washington Nationals to avoid a sweep. 

To maintain his monicker the calm, cool right hander brings impressive credentials to the mound. He has a 5-1 record and paltry 1.87 ERA into this start. Only four pitchers in baseball have a lower ERA, including Phillies starter Christopher Sanchez at 1.82. 

Burns started in Philadelphia on July 6 last season, pitching 4 2/3 innings allowing a run on two hits, four walks and seven strikeouts.

The Phillies send 28-year old lefty, Jesus Luzardo with a 3-3 record and 5.07 ERA in nine starts against the Reds 

Luzardo was the Washington Nationals third pick in the 2016 draft out of Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. 

He broke in with the Oakland Athletics in 2019. He pitched for the Miami Marlins for three seasons. The Phillies traded for him in December 2024 for two minor leaguers. Luzardo responded with a 15-7 record and 3.92 ERA in 32 starts.

Luzardo had a scoreless, seven inning start against the San Francisco Giants on April 28. He struggled in a May 8th start against the Colorado Rockies, allowing six runs, five earned in three innings.

He rebounded with six scoreless innings in his last start against the Boston Red Sox in a 3-1 win.

Luzardo has three career starts against the Reds with a 1-2 record and 4.85 ERA. His last start was in Philadelphia on July 4 of last season. The Reds came out on top, scoring six runs, five earned in two innings on six hits and three walks. The Reds held on for a 7-5 win.  The Reds lineup:

Matt McLain 2B

Elly De La Cruz SS

Spencer Steer 1B

Sal Stewart DH

Dane Myers CF

JJ Bleday LF

Blake Dunn RF

Tyler Stephenson C

Ke’Bryan Hayes 3B

The Phillies lineup;

Trea Turner DH

Bryce Harper 1B

Alec Bohm 3B

Brandon Marsh LF

Adolis Garcia RF

Bryson Sott 2B

Edmundo Sosa SS

Justin Crawford CF

Rafael Marchan C

Reds Bullpen Better But Not Good Enough To Stop Bryson Stott And The Phillies

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Dateline: Cincinnati

Bryson Stott hit a two-run home run off Graham Ashcraft to lift the Phila delphiss Phillies to a 5-4 win over the reeling Reds.

The third straight loss dropped the team to 24-24. An even record for the first time since they were 3-3 on April 3.

The bullpen wasn’t the nightmare we saw in Cleveland over the weekend but it was no quite good enough.

In Cleveland the relievers walked 14 and gave up four home runs. This time walks were not the problem, one but the home run was.

Four outs away from a win, Ashcraft faced the left handed Stott. Ashcraft is more effective against left handers so even with lefty Brock Burke getting ready, Terry Francona liked the match up.

Stott is hitting .206 against right handed pitchers and .353 against southpaws this season.

“He (Stott) has been struggling against right handed pitchers. I felt good about it until the ball left the bat,” Francona said. “I don’t like the results but it was the right thing to do.”

Nick Lodolo had trouble with control in the first inning.

After Trea Turner opened the game with a double, he walked Bryce Harper and Alec Bohm. Back-to-back sacrifice fly outs by Aroldis Garcia and Bryson Stott put the Phillies up 2-0. 

The Reds got even against Andrew Painter. Sal Stewart, Nathaniel Lowe and Tyler Stephenson single for one run. TJ Friedl’s sacrifice fly tied the game.

Both starters settled in.

 The Reds didn’t get a base runner in the next four innings against Painter.

The Phillies got a bleeder for an infield hit by Justin Crawford. But Alec Bohm hit his fourth home run to put the Phillies up 3-2.

Lodolo hit Garcia with one out and walked Stott with two out. 

Lodolo pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing x runs on three hits but he walked five and hit a batter.

Tejay Antone came in with two on and two out.

He appeared to pick Garcia off second but the safe call survived the challenge. Antone walked Realmuto but got Crawford on a groundout.

Brad Keller relieved Painter to start the seventh. Stewart greeted Keller with his 11th home run to tie the game. It was the Reds first hit since the second inning.

It was Stewart’s first home run since May 7 and second since April 25th.

Graham Ashcraft entered the game in the bottom of the seventh. When last seen he walked three  Cleveland batters on 12 pitches and a single.

He pitched a 1-2-3 inning.

Matt McLain opened the eighth with a single off Jose Alvarado. He stole second and scored on Steer’s double. Alvarado walked Bleday with two outs.

Phillies manager Don Mattingly selected Orion Kerkering to face Stewart, who flied out to left.

Bohm singled off Ashcraft in the bottom of the eighth, leading off. Ashcraft got two outs before Stott put the Phillies back on top with his fifth home run. Realmuto reached on an error by Elly De La Cruz.

Brock Burke took over for Ashcraft. Crawford grounded out to send the game to the ninth.

Phillies brought in closer Jhoan Duran to pitch to the bottom of the Reds lineup.

Lowe struck out in a 10-pitch at bat. Stephenson struck out on three pitches. Friedl grounded to short to end the game.

Nick Lodolo Gets Call Against Red Hot Phillies

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Dateline: Cincinnati

Nick Lodolo was counted on to be the Reds’ number two starter before spring training started will start for the third time this season. This against left handed dominated Philadelphia Phillies.

A blister delayed his start of the season. Now in his third game back he needs to improve on his 0-1 record with a lofty 8.68 ERA.

them.

 He has been touched for a total of nine runs on 11 hits, including three home runs.

He has pitched well against the left handed dominated Phillies. He is 1-1 in six starts against them in six starts with a 3.06 ERA.

He won his last start against them on April 24, 2024 with five innings. He gave up three runs on six hits and three  walks but had a no-decision in a 7-4 win.

 In his last start in Philadelphia on April 8, 2023 he pitched seven scoreless innings on three hits.

Andrew Painter is his 23-year old opponent. The right handed first pick by the Phillies in 2021 out of Calvery Christian Academy in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. 

Making his eighth start tonight in his rookie season, he is 1-4 with a 6.21 ERA.

The Phillies lost his last five starts but he pitched well in his last start against the Boston Red Sox with one run on four hits and no walks. He did not get the decision in the loss.

The Phillies and Reds have the same 24-23 record but have arrived there on different paths. The Phillies were 9-19 under Rob Thompson but are 15-4 under Don Mattingly.

The Reds were 20-11 but dropped 12 of their last 16 games.

The Reds lineup:

Matt McLain 2B

Elly De La Cruz SS

Spencer Steer RF

JJ Bleday LF

Sal Stewart 1B

Nathaniel Lowe DH 

Tyler Stephenson C

TJ Friedl CF

Ke’Bryan Hayes 3B

The Phillies are:

Trea Turner SS

Bryce Harper DH

Alec Bohm 1B

Edumundo Sosa 3B

Adolis Garcia RF

Bryson Stott 2B

JT Realmuto C

Justin Crawford CF

Otto Kemp LF

Kyle Manzardo Poured On The Juice In The Ohio Cup Cleveland Takes The Lead

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Dateline: Cincinnati

Kyle Manzardo and four of his mates poured on the juice to send the Cleveland Guardians to a lead in the Ohio Cup with an 10-3 filling. Cleveland won the series by winning the last two games.

The Guardians hit six home runs off each of the four different Reds' pitchers, with starter Brady Singer responsible for three of them. Manzardo led the home run trots with two of them.

Chase DeLauter hit a two-run home run in the first inning, his seventh. The line drive against Brady Singer was the it was his first since May 3 against the Athletics. DeLauter hit four home runs in his first three games and his fifth on April 3. He had gone a month between home runs number five and six.

Elly De La Cruz took Gavin Williams high into the left center field grand stands 400 feet away. I was De La Cruz' 11th home run of the season and first since April 28 against the Colorado Rockies. It was 16 games between long balls. It also extended his hitting streak to 10 games.

De La Cruz drew boos for taking a long time to circle the bases.

Manzardo countered with a home run following DeLauter's second hit of the game. It was Manzardo's third of 2026.

The Reds got one back in the fourth. Spencer Steer and Sal Stewart led off the fourth innings with singles for the second time of the game. They opened the second inning with back-to-back singles bur were stranded. This time Nathaniel Lowe singled to cut Cleveland's lead in half. They still had two on and no outs but Tyler Stephenson struck out and Williams picked Stewart off second and TJ Friedl, who was on the bench the last three games, struck out looking. 

Bryan Rocchio hit his fourth home run of the season in the fifth inning. It is the second straight game that Singer has given up three home runs. Singer has allowed 14 homers this season.

"He didn't always but when he missed he paid for it. We knew going in they had nine left handers," Terry Francona said. "He had to work for everything and when he missed he paid the price. He got hit pretty hard (line drive off his ankle in his last start. I don't think it affected him. He got hit pretty hard but he's not going to blame it on that."

The Reds pulled Singer after four innings. He pitched four innings, allowing five runs on seven hits, and one walk. He had six strikeouts. 

"I was able to get to two strikes. That's what I wanted to do, attack the zone," Singer said. "I couldn't put them away, they were all on sliders down and in. The ankles fine. It is still there a little bit but I don't feel it when I pitch."

Brock Burke entered the fray.

Manzardo hit his second home run of the game in the sixth. It is his fourth career multi-home run game and first since August 10 of last season against the Chicago White Sox. Manzardo took the left hander Burke deep ruining the match up Terry Francona was looking for with a string of left handed batters due up in the fifth.

Connor Phillips gave up Angel Martinez' ninth home run of the season with a man on in the bottom of the seventh to stretch Cleveland's lead to 8-2.

Tejay Antone hit Rocchio with a pitch then Jose Ramirez hit his seventh home run.

The Reds scored a cosmetic run in the ninth and a base running gaff blunted that inning too.  Blake Dunn singled and McLain slugged one down the line against Codi Heur, making his Guardians debut.

While McLain was running out a triple, Dunn was being held at third. The Guardians threw him out for the second out of the inning. Dane Myers singled on a soft ground ball to third to score Dunn.

De La Cruz flied out to left in a stadium ringing with boos.

The clean baseball the Reds played in the first 30 games has left them by the wayside at 23-22.

"It's baseball. It will punch you in the gut, you know, more times than not. It's obviously tough," Singer said. "There is a lot of season left. I trust these guys a lot. We're not changing how we're reacting. I trust them with everything I have. I'm excited to get ready for the next one."

Kyle Mazardo Poured On The Juice In Ohio Cup Cleveland Takes The Lead

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Dateline: Cincinnati

Kyle Manzardo and four of his mates poured on the juice to send the Cleveland Guardians to a lead in the Ohio Cup with an 10-3 filling. Cleveland won the series by winning the last two games.

The Guardians hit six home runs off each of the four different Reds' pitchers, with starter Brady Singer responsible for three of them. Manzardo led the home run trots with two of them.

Chase DeLauter hit a two-run home run in the first inning, his seventh. The line drive against Brady Singer was the it was his first since May 3 against the Athletics. DeLauter hit four home runs in his first three games and his fifth on April 3. He had gone a month between home runs number five and six.

Elly De La Cruz took Gavin Williams high into the left center field grand stands 400 feet away. I was De La Cruz' 11th home run of the season and first since April 28 against the Colorado Rockies. It was 16 games between long balls. It also extended his hitting streak to 10 games.

De La Cruz drew boos for taking a long time to circle the bases.

Kyle Manzardo countered with a home run following DeLauter's second hit of the game. It was Manzardo's third of 2026.

The Reds got one back in the fourth. Spencer Steer and Sal Stewart led off the fourth innings with singles for the second time of the game. They opened the second inning with back-to-back singles bur were stranded. This time Nathaniel Lowe singled to cut Cleveland's lead in half. They still had two on and no outs but Tyler Stephenson struck out and Williams picked Stewart off second and TJ Friedl, who was on the bench the last three games, struck out looking. 

Bryan Rocchio hit his fourth home run of the season in the fifth inning. It is the second straight game that Singer has given up three home runs. Singer has allowed 14 homers this season.

"He didn't always but when he missed he paid for it. We knew going in they had nine left handers," Terry Francona said. "He had to work for everything and when he missed he paid the price. He got hit pretty hard (line drive off his ankle in his last start. I don't think it affected him. He got hit pretty hard but he's not going to blame it on that."

The Reds pulled Singer after four innings. He pitched four innings, allowing five runs on seven hits, and one walk. He had six strikeouts. 

"I was able to get to two strikes. That's what I wanted to do, attack the zone," Singer said. "I couldn't put them away, they were all on sliders down and in. The ankles fine. It is still there a little bit but I don't feel it when I pitch."

Brock Burke entered the fray.

Manzardo hit his second home run of the game in the sixth. It is his fourth career multi-home run game and first since August 10 of last season against the Chicago White Sox. Manzardo took the left hander Burke deep ruining the match up Terry Francona was looking for with a string of left handed batters due up in the fifth.

Connor Phillips gave up Angel Martinez' ninth home run of the season with a man on in the bottom of the seventh to stretch Cleveland's lead to 8-2.

Tejay Antone hit Rocchio with a pitch then Jose Ramirez hit his seventh home run.

The Reds scored a cosmetic run in the ninth and a base running gaff blunted that inning too.  Blake Dunn singled and McLain slugged one down the line against Codi Heur, making his Guardians debut.

While McLain was running out a triple, Dunn was being held at third. The Guardians threw him out for the second out of the inning. Dane Myers singled on a soft ground ball to third to score Dunn.

De La Cruz flied out to left in a stadium ringing with boos.

The clean baseball the Reds played in the first 30 games has left them by the wayside at 23-22.

"It's baseball. It will punch you in the gut, you know, more times than not. It's obviously tough," Singer said. "There is a lot of season left. I trust these guys a lot. We're not changing how we're reacting. I trust them with everything I have. I'm excited to get ready for the next one."

Brady Singer Faces Gavin Williams Over Deciding Game

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Dateline: Cincinnati

Brady Singer fully recovered from a line drive off his ankle in his last start will try to secure a Reds series win in the Ohio Cup tilt with the Cleveland Guardians.

Singer brings a 2-3 record with a 5.79 ERA to the mound in nine starts. His last outing he pitched 3 2/3 innings and left soon after Daylen Lile lined a pitch off his ankle. Singer allowed three runs on six hits, including three home runs and a walk.

He had a quality start on April 19 against the Minnesota Twins but has been searching for success since.

Singer owns a 3-3 record and a 4.88 ERA against the Guardians, lifetime in 14 starts that includes a complete game.

The Reds face big right hander Gavin Williams, 5-3 with a 3.74 ERA in nine starts. Williams is 26 years old and was the first round pick for Cleveland in the 2021 draft out of East Carolina University.

He had three straight quality starts, including a 7 2/3 inning effort against the Tampa Bay Rays in which he allowed one unearned run on five hits. However, he has struggled in his last two outings allowing five runs in both of them. He lasted six innings in them but allowed 10 hits in his last game against the Minnesota Twins.

Williams will face the Reds for the first time.

The lineup he faces is:

Will Benson RF

Elly De La Cruz SS

JJ Bleday LF

Spencer Steer 1B

Sal Stewart 3B

Nathaniel Lowe DH

Tyler Stephenson C

TJ Friedl CF

Matt McLain 2B

The Guardians counter with:

Daniel Schneemann 3B

Jose Ramirez DH

Chase DeLauter RF

Kyle Manzardo 1B

Travis Bazzana 2B

Steven Kwan CF

Angel Martinez LF

Patrick Bailey C

Brayan Rocchio SS

Reds Put Jose Trevino On IL DFA Rece Hinds Select PJ Higgins

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Dateline: Cincinnati

A injury to a backup catcher had a ripple effect that left prospect Rece Hinds without job at least temporarily.

It also allowed PJ Higgins another crack at the big leagues.

Timing is everything, like a two-out hit with runners in scoring position.

Jose Trevino pulled his left hamstring running out a bunt that helped the Reds fuel a three-run rally. What was supposed to be a night off for Tyler Stephenson in front of a day game after a night game forced him into action in the fifth inning.

The Reds placed Trevino on the 15-day injured list and allowed Higgins to return. Higgins filled in for Trevino, who had lower back pain until May 6. The Reds designated Higgins for assignment on May 13 to clear a 40-man roster spot when they signed Chris Paddack. He cleared waivers and was assigned outright to Louisville.

The Reds got their wish as no one picked him up on waivers.

"For his sake I hope he gets picked up. For our sake I hope he doesn't," Terry Francona said at the time.

Now the Reds risk losing their second hitting prospect this season. They lost Christian Encarnacion-Strand to waivers when they added Higgins to the 40-man, ironically.

Hinds showed promise when he broke in with the Reds in 2024. He hit four doubles, a triple and five home runs in a total of 51 plate appearances. He played in stints with the Reds in 2025 and early this season and totaled just four doubles and two home runs in 80 plate appearances. This season he came up on April 14 and returned May 3 with a .121 batting average and three doubles in 36 plate appearance. He has dominated in Louisville. Hinds hit .302 with 26 doubles, two triples and 24 home runs in 107 games. This season he is hitting .306 with three doubles, two triples and seven home runs in 23 games. His downfall was struggling with Major League pitching.

"Maybe for his sake he gets some opportunities he didn't get here. We love the kid and there are tools there. Sometimes things have a way of working out for guys," Francona said.

Trevino will fly to Cincinnati after the Reds play the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday (051726). He will get an MRI there.

The Reds sent Luis Mey back to Louisville and recalled Jose Franco.

Franco is a starting pitcher and the Reds were using him in long relief. He was a candidate for a fill-in starter before they signed, Paddack.

"He's handled it really well. I think last year with Petty, we felt like we didn't help him. Franco seems to handle it pretty well. We've explained to him kind of in depth. We will try to stretch you out. But if you get stretch out, you can always pitch in the bullpen here. We haven't tried to stretch him out too quickly. The other day he threw 42, 44 pitches. It would be going like zero to 60 in a hurry," Franco said.

Franco will not be available to pitch today because of his recent work but the Reds had sent him down on May 8th and he would only be eligible to return so soon if there was an injury. The Trevino injury was it.

"He needs another day," Francona said.

Angel Martinez Torches Reds Wild Bullpen To Even The Series At One Game

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Dateline: Cincinnati

Chris Paddack left his first start for the Reds with a 4-2 lead but the Reds bullpen allowed a double and home run to Angel Martinez to send the Cleveland Guardians to a 7-4 win to even the series.

Reds' relievers aided and abetted the Guardians by issuing six walks to help fuel the comeback. Reds relievers lead baseball with 120 walks. 

"I mean the pinpointed is we have not commanded," Terry Francona said. "That's the issue. We talked to our guys. I don't think you say, hey don't walk people. They're not trying to walk people. We're trying to get them in the mindset of attack with what you do. I hear DJ say it every day. I wanted to just try to drive it home."

Cleveland got on the board first against Paddack, who breezed through the first inning on nine pitches.

The newly signed right hander struck out the first two Cleveland batters in the second inning. Steven Kwan singled over shortstop. Paddack hit Angel Martinez with a pitch and walked Austin Hedges. Paddack was ahead of Brayan Rocchio 0-2 but he singled in two runs on a 1-2 pitch.

"Singles are never going to beat you, right? The at bat I want back is the you know, runners on first and second and two outs is the one to Hedges. You can't walk guys with two outs. I kind of got out of whack there, trying to trying to be fine, trying to be perfect, Instead of what we'd been doing all night and attack the zone."

Cantillo gave up a two-out home run to Dane Myers, his third in the third inning.

The Reds took over in the fifth. Blake Dunn bunted for a single. Jose Trevino bunted too. Cantillo made an athletic play to record the out. He dived, picked it up with his bare hand and tossed like a hand grenade to record the out. Ke'Bryan Hayes walked as Dunn stole third. Myers struck out looking but Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart walked to force in the tying run. Spencer Steer drilled a double off the wall in right center. Two runs scores but Stewart was thrown out at the plate.

Trevino left the game with a strained left hamstring.

"He did it on the bunt," Francona said. "Things are kind of happening fast. I think we'll know tomorrow."

Paddack pitched five innings, allowed two runs on six hits, a walk and a hit batter. He struck out three.

"I thought he did a really good job," Francona said. "And if you look at the scoreboard, he could have stayed out there. I just thought with the time off it would be really unfair to him."

Paddack had not pitched from a mound in 11 days between his release from the Marlins and his signing with the Reds.

"It was the first thing the coaches did was check how the body is feeling," Paddack said. "I thought we did a good job the last three or four days to get ready to go. Sometimes not getting off the mound and competing it is hard to get to that 80 pitch count. Honestly, I felt pretty good today."

The Guardians tied the score against Luis Mey. He expanded the Reds' bullpen's Major League leading walk total by walking Kwan, the leadoff hitter. Martinez hit a grounder the opposite way passed De La Cruz at short. Martinez kept running and ended up with a double as Kwan moved to third with no outs. He scored on a wild pitch. Hedges struck out looking. Rocchio walked. Sam Moll relieved Mey. Pinch hitter Rhys Hoskins hit a line drive to Steer in left. Martinez read it as a single and had to scramble back to third to tag up but Steer slipped and the game was tied. Jose Ramirez was intentionally walked and Chase DeLauter grounded out.

"We were trying to get four hitters with May because we knew we had them all and it unraveled kind of why we before we got there," Francona said.

Moll gave up a single to Kyle Manzardo to start the seventh. Then struck out Bazzana and Kwan. Pierce Johnson entered to pitch to Martinez, who hit his eighth home run to put the Guardians up, 6-4.

The Guardians came up with an unearned run in the ninth. Ramirez singled for the second time which put him sixth on the franchise's all-time list with 1,707 passing Lou Boudreau. He stole second and third to give him 20 on the year, one that was reversed on a challenge in his favor. He scored when Connor Phillips dropped Bazzana's ground ball to the mound.

Cade Smith saved his 11th straight save to give him 14 on the season.

 

Angel Martinez Torches Reds Wild Bullpen To Even The Series

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Dateline: Cincinnati

Chris Paddack left his first start for the Reds with a 4-2 lead but the Reds bullpen allowed a double and home run to Angel Martinez to send the Cleveland Guardians to a 7-4 win to even the series.

Reds' relievers aided and abetted the Guardians by issuing six walks to help fuel the comeback. Reds relievers lead baseball with 120 walks. 

"I mean the pinpointed is we have not commanded," Terry Francona said. "That's the issue. We talked to our guys. I don't think you say, hey don't walk people. They're not trying to walk people. We're trying to get them in the mindset of attack with what you do. I hear DJ say it every day. I wanted to just try to drive it home."

Cleveland got on the board first against Paddack, who breezed through the first inning on nine pitches.

The newly signed right hander struck out the first two Cleveland batters in the second inning. Steven Kwan singled over shortstop. Paddack hit Angel Martinez with a pitch and walked Austin Hedges. Paddack was ahead of Brayan Rocchio 0-2 but he singled in two runs on a 1-2 pitch.

"Singles are never going to beat you, right? The at bat I want back is the you know, runners on first and second and two outs is the one to Hedges. You can't walk guys with two outs. I kind of got out of whack there, trying to trying to be fine, trying to be perfect, Instead of what we'd been doing all night and attack the zone."

Cantillo gave up a two-out home run to Dane Myers, his third in the third inning.

The Reds took over in the fifth. Blake Dunn bunted for a single. Jose Trevino bunted too. Cantillo made an athletic play to record the out. He dived, picked it up with his bare hand and tossed like a hand grenade to record the out. Ke'Bryan Hayes walked as Dunn stole third. Myers struck out looking but Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart walked to force in the tying run. Spencer Steer drilled a double off the wall in right center. Two runs scores but Stewart was thrown out at the plate.

Trevino left the game with a strained left hamstring.

"He did it on the bunt," Francona said. "Things are kind of happening fast. I think we'll know tomorrow."

Paddack pitched five innings, allowed two runs on six hits, a walk and a hit batter. He struck out three.

"I thought he did a really good job," Francona said. "And if you look at the scoreboard, he could have stayed out there. I just thought with the time off it would be really unfair to him."

Paddack had not pitched from a mound in 11 days between his release from the Marlins and his signing with the Reds.

"It was the first thing the coaches did was check how the body is feeling," Paddack said. "I thought we did a good job the last three or four days to get ready to go. Sometimes not getting off the mound and competing it is hard to get to that 80 pitch count. Honestly, I felt pretty good today."

The Guardians tied the score against Luis Mey. He expanded the Reds' bullpen's Major League leading walk total by walking Kwan, the leadoff hitter. Martinez hit a grounder the opposite way passed De La Cruz at short. Martinez kept running and ended up with a double as Kwan moved to third with no outs. He scored on a wild pitch. Hedges struck out looking. Rocchio walked. Sam Moll relieved Mey. Pinch hitter Rhys Hoskins hit a line drive to Steer in left. Martinez read it as a single and had to scramble back to third to tag up but Steer slipped and the game was tied. Jose Ramirez was intentionally walked and Chase DeLauter grounded out.

"We were trying to get four hitters with May because we knew we had them all and it unraveled kind of why we before we got there," Francona said.

Moll gave up a single to Kyle Manzardo to start the seventh. Then struck out Bazzana and Kwan. Pierce Johnson entered to pitch to Martinez, who hit his eighth home run to put the Guardians up, 6-4.

The Guardians came up with an unearned run in the ninth. Ramirez singled for the second time which put him sixth on the franchise's all-time list with 1,707 passing Lou Boudreau. He stole second and third to give him 20 on the year, one that was reversed on a challenge in his favor. He scored when Connor Phillips dropped Bazzana's ground ball to the mound.

Cade Smith saved his 11th straight save to give him 14 on the season.