Spencer Torkelson Slugs Tigers To Sweep Avoiding Win

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Dateline: Cincinnati

Spencer Torkelson continued his home run streak to five games and slugged two doubles to stop the Reds from sweeping the Detroit Tigers in an 8-3 win.

Rhett Lowder started slowly in the effort to sweep the Detroit Tigers but settled in to finish five innings as Reds' batters took him off the hook.

In the first inning, Detroit combined singles by Gleyber Torres  and Riley Greene with a walk to Spencer Torkelson to set up Kerry Carpenter for a two-out, two-run double.

Lowder scattered three hits over the next four innings and finished with five innings, allowing two runs on six hits and one walk. He struck out seven.

"In the first inning, he was kind of yanking everything," Terry Francona said. "DJ settled him down. To his credit, it was a high pitch count after two innings but he gave us five. He looked way more like Lowder after that."

Lowder changed tactics after the first inning.

Nathaniel Lowe took Tiger starter Keider Montero deep for his fourth home run of the season and fourth in three days of this series. It was the second time, Lowe had home runs in three straight games since August 2022 as a member of the Texas Rangers.

"Even when we left him in against the left hander, he hit the line out. He feels really good about himself," Francona said. "He knows he's getting an opportunity. He's trying to make the most of it. He's seeing the ball pretty good."

JJ Bleday hit a home run in his first game with the Reds off Montero.

Bleday and Lowe were among the last decisions the Reds made in spring training.

The Reds chose Lowe because he was a veteran and his demeanor was more compatable with a bench role.

"We feel Bleday can help us," Francona said. "We didn't want him to have that last bench spot. We wanted him to go play."

"Lowe is not used to being on the bench but he admits he had a bad year. He told us that he played his way out of a starting job. He wants to play his way back."

The Reds took the lead in the fifth inning. Ke'Bryan Hayes led off with a triple. Matt McLain hit a double to score him.

Brock Burke relieved Lowder in the sixth. He surrendered a double to Torkelson and walked Matt Vierling and Jahmai Jones but struck out Jake Rogers and retired Kevin McGonigle on a fly out to deep center.

The Tigers roared against Sam Moll and Pierce Johnson in the seventh inning. A rare error by Hayes at third base allowed Torres to reach base. Pinch hitter Hao-Yu Lee hit his first home run of his career to give the Tigers a lead. After Johnson relieved Moll, Torkelson hit his fifth home run of the season. 

Torkelson tied the team record for hitting home runs in five straight games, accomplished five times, the last by Marcus Thames in 2008. The others are: Willie Horton (1969), Vic Wertz (1950), Hank Greenberg (1940) and Rudy York (1937).

"He hit a couple home runs coming in, so you put a little asterisk by his name, for a guy who is not where he's at." Francona said. "You hear me say all the time, guys are going to get to their level. A couple of the swings he kept his hands in so well, he got the barrel to it. He's strong."

Carpenter tripled and scored on a sacrifice fly by Vierling.

Jose Franco took over for Johnson to face Detroit in the eighth. He walked McGonigle and served up a home run ball to Torres.

McGonigle is hitting .330 and his single in the second inning extended his hitting streak to 11 games and has reached base in 24 straight starts.

"McGonigle, (expletive), they say he has a bright future. He has a bright present too," Francona said. 

The Tigers got four scoreless innings from Brant Hurter, Will Vest, Kyle Finnegan and Brenan Hanifee.

Rhett Lowder Looking For Sweep Of The Tigers

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Dateline: Cincinnati

The Reds send their young star to be starter, Rhett Lowder, to the mound with a whisk broom in his back pocket. 

For the third straight series the Reds head into the final game with a chance to sweep. This time against the Detroit Tigers.

Lowder is 3-1 with a 3.10 ERA. He allowed one run in six innings against the Tampa Bay Rays to set up a sweep opportunity in his last start. Three of his five starts have been quality starts. This would be his first appearance against the Tigers.

Facing the Reds trying to avoid a sweep is 25-year old right hander, Keider Montero. He holds a 1-2 record with a 3.68 ERA.

This will be his fifth start. He had one quality start, a six inning scoreless outing against the Miami Marlins on April 10. Montero pitched 5 2/3 innings in his last start against the Milwaukee Brewers. He allowed three runs on five hits and one walk.

He has pitched one game against the Reds in relief. He relieved Brant Hurter in the first inning on June 13 last season and pitched five innings, allowing two runs on seven hits and a walk.

The Reds send this lineup against Montero.

TJ Friedl CF

Matt McLain 2B

Elly De La Cruz SS

Sal Stewart 1B

Nathaniel Lowe DH

Spencer Steer RF

JJ Bleday LF

Jose Trevino C

Ke'Bryan Hayes 3B

Lowder is tasked with this lineup:

Kevin McGonigle SS

Gleber Torres 2B

Colt Keith 3B

Riley Greene DH

Spencer Torkelson 1B

Kerry Carpenter LF

Matt Vierling CF

Wenceel Perez RF

Jake Rogers C

Reds Trap Tigers With Three Home Runs Brady Singer Tames Tigers

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Dateline: Cincinnati

Detroit Tigers rookie Kevin McGonigle was intent on ruining the Reds Hall of Fame induction of Lou Piniella, Brandon Phillips, Reggie Sanders and Aaron Harang.

He deposited Brady Singer's second pitch of the game onto the center field terrace. Colt Keith and Riley Greene his singles back-to-back but Singer squelched further damage.

The Reds showed the old guard how good they are with a 9-2 win to clinch the series against Detroit and improved to 18-9 on the season.

The Reds took it out on Tigers' starter, Jack Flaherty. Matt McLain walked and Elly De La Cruz matched him. Sal Stewart hit his ninth home run into the left field stands. Nathaniel Lowe went back-to-back with his third home run in 24 hours. 

Hard luck Ke'Bryan Hayes hit a long double over Matt Vierling's head in center field to opne the second inning. TJ Friedl was credited with a sacrifice bunt as Hayes moved along. McLain struck out but De La Cruz crushed his ninth home run the opposite way to the left base of the batter's eye. 

Spencer Torkelson hit his second home run of the series and fourth on the season to cut into the lead.

The Reds continued to assault Tiger pitching. 

Tyler Holton allowed an inning opening single to Hayes. Friedl dumped a single to right. De La Cruz walked and Stewart chased two home with a hard ground single passed the second baseman, Javier Baez.

"Sal is just a good hitter. He fouls off tough pitches. He may look off balance sometimes but when you're a good hitter and you see enough pitches, the pitcher will make a mistake and you can do some damage," Francona said.

Stewart drove in five runs and leads the Major Leagues with 29.

"I'm confident in my guys," Stewart said. "I know what we can do. There are ups and downs in this game. We understand that. I trust these guys. I love my teammates."

Stewart has been carrying the offense in the early season as they were near the bottom of baseball in runs scored. The last 10 games they have scored six or more runs five times. In that span Friedl had his first extra base hits with two against the Tigers in this game.

"It was only a matter of time until the bats came alive," Friedl said. "We've been playing good baseball over that last 10-game stretch. The pitching has been incredible. We've been playing good defense. We started getting things rolling on the offensive side."

Singer gave up his eighth hit with one out in the sixth.  Connor Phillips shut down Detroit the rest of the inning.

"There were a lot of base runners, some hits," Terry Francona said. "Some bending but not breaking. You look up at Brady in the sixth and you usually have a good chance to win."

Singer finished with 5 1/3 innings, two runs on eight hits and no walks. He struck out three.

Graham Ashcraft and Sam Moll pitched scoreless innings with the Reds infield turning two double plays.

Friedl's third hit of the game was a home run off Drew Anderson. It was Friedl's first of the year.

Emilio Pagan pitched the ninth in a non-save situation. He had not pitched in five days. He pitched a scoreless ninth.

Colorful Lou Piniella Manages To Be Inducted Into The Reds Hall Of Fame

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Dateline: Cincinnati

Colorful manager Lou Piniella will join the Reds' Hall of  Fame collecting a World Championship ring and a couple of dented water coolers.

Reds fans elected him to the team Hall of Fame.

"When they called and told me I was thrilled. I told him that he just made my year," Piniella, who is 82,  said. "I will remember this the rest of my life. This is a historic franchise. The fans, everything are great."

The 1990 Reds won nine straight games to start the season and led the entire went wire to wire and never spent a game out of first place.

"I remember going to spring training and looking at my roster," Piniella recalled. "I was thinking to myself, these kids are vey talented. I looked at my pitching with Jose Rijo, Tom Browning, and a couple of young kids, if our pitching holds up, we can win. My message to them on opening day was: you guys are at the right age, the right experience and the talent to win everything. I said go out, play ball and good things will happen to us."

"We built up a big lead and I was able to rest the team, in the summer. We got into the playoffs. Pittsburgh was a good team. The team we beat in the playoffs was a good team. The Oakland was heavily favored but I felt that we would play very well. I didn't know we'd sweep them. I thought we'd be very competitive because Oakland was a fastball pitching team. Our kids hit fastballs well. At the same time Oakland had big sluggers where you could throw velocity at them."

Piniella was prophetic. The Reds swept the Oakland A's in four games.

"Pete Rose did a great job of putting the team together. We just tweaked it a little."

Rose was the manager in 1989 when he was suspended for life for betting on baseball.

Piniella took over after a 17-year career as a player and two years of managing the New York Yankees.

The Reds brought in outfielder Billy Hatcher to fit between Eric Davis and Paul O'Neil. They added Randy Myers to go with Rob Dibble and Norm Charlton to form the "Nasty Boys"

"They made the difference. We used to play a seven inning game. If we were ahead in the seventh inning it was shut the door, baby," Piniella explained. "We had some power but we also had some speed and athleticism. If we could tack on a run here and there in the middle of a game. It made it tough on the opposition."

In the post season, Jose Rijo caught fire. "He was unhittable," Piniella said. 

The Reds have not been to the World Series since. Neither did Piniella in the remainder of his 23-year career. He did win three Manager of the Year Awards although he finished second to Jim Leyland of the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1990. Piniella, known as "Sweet Lou" won 1,835 games as a manager and had a winning percentage of .517. Piniella managed the Seattle Mariners to 116 wins. The only other team to win that many was the 1906 Chicago Cubs although the Cubs did it in 155 games while the Mariners took 162 games to do it.

Piniella was known for his temper. He was ejected in 64 games, five in 1990 and 11 in his three years with the Reds. On August 21, 1990, one of the most famous ejections in baseball lore was Piniella, taking first base up by its "roots" and flinging it into the outfield. Not satisfied with distance, he went out to pick up the base and throw it farther.

https://youtu.be/Xwk6QsMve5g?si=KtqtH7H2PFXIUvJ5

"Truhfully, now that I'm 82 years old and hopefully a lot smarter, I wish I had toned it down some," Piniella said. "I really do. Truthfully, I'm an easy going guy but on the field, I'm very competitive. When I first started managing, Mr. (George) Steinbrenner said, 'when you get mad at the umpire put on a little show. The people enjoy it. I get the back page of the New York Daily News and the New York Post. I'll pay your fines.'  I took it to heart but I wished truthfully, I had toned it down some."

The Reds owner the infamously, cheap, tight fisted owner of the Reds in 1990, Marge Schott, was different.

"Marge was a little reluctant but she eventually paid it," Piniella laughed. 

Now heated arguments between managers and umpires have been largely removed from the game with replay review and the new ABS camera system for balls and strikes.

"Truthfully it would have suited me just fine," Piniella said. "I do feel like the fans miss a good argument once in a while. It's fun for them. Baseball is a sport. It's a business. But it's also entertainment. You gotta entertain the folks some too. Still it would have saved me a few ejections. "

"When most managers got kicked out the game the fines was three or four hundred. My fines started at a thousand plus," Piniella reminisced."

Most players he managed expressed fear for his disapproval. The real fear were gum ball machines and water coolers.

Piniella had gum ball machines on the desk in his office. After one tough loss, those machines felt the brunt of his anger. He released his rage before inviting the press in for the postgame conference.

"Watch out for the gum balls," Sweet Lou warned. 

Water coolers weren't safe either. After a bad play or a base running mistake or anything else that didn't go the Reds way. He would kick the water cooler which was near the end of the dugout in the days before bottled water. 

While he was with the Reds, a play brought him distress and he turned to kick the water cooler and whiffed, falling flat on his butt. Reds players surpressed a laugh.

"Go ahead and laugh," Piniella said. "It was funny."

"When I played the poor water cooler took a beating," Piniella said. "I'd swing at a bad pitch, make a stupid out. The water cooler took the brunt of it. In fact in Kansas City, I took a couple home. I paid for them two times over."

Piniella left the Reds when Marge Schott wouldn't maintain the team.

"We had a great organization from the front office to the scouts, to the talent in the system. This was the only job I took where the team had a chance to win. Pete Rose had some good teams with talent,"Piniella said.

"Marge told me I won with a $13 million payroll, I could win again with a $13 million payroll," Piniella remembered. "I told her the other teams are getting better. We have to increase our payroll. She said the same thing, $13 million, I said, 'you're not interested in winning. So I went home." 

Brady Singer Hunts Tigers To Keep Reds' Momentum Going

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Dateline: Cincinnati

Brady Singer hopes to grab the Detroit Tigers by the tail, just like Buck Owens sings about.

The Reds' right hander is a quiet, steady starter, looking to improve on his 1-1 record and 5.32 ERA. His hunt has been on and off so far this season with a short start of 2 2/3 innings followed by two quality starts, a one run, six inning game against the San Francisco Giants in which he struggled early but grinded out a 2-1 win. His last outing on April 19. He allowed three earned runs early but gutted out six innings as the Reds came back to take a 7-4 victory in 10 innings.

As a member of the Kansas City Royals, Singer has faced the Tigers 15 times as rivals in the American League Central Division. He is 7-1 with a 3.16 lifetime against the Cats. He was the winner in an 11-1 win in Detroit on June 14, 2025. He pitched six innings allowing one run on four hits.

His mound opponent is Jack Flaherty a right hander who came through the Reds National League Central rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals. Flaherty in his second season in Detroit is 0-1 with a 3.47 ERA. He has allowed two runs or fewer in four of his five starts. The opposition has scored a total of two runs in his last 15 innings, covering three starts. His last outing was a 3 1/3 effort in which he allowed two unearned runs on three hits and six walks against the Boston Red Sox. The walks caused an early exit.

Against the Reds he holds a 3-3 record with a 4.53 ERA in 11 starts. His last start against the Reds was the same 11-1 loss that Singer won. Flaherty was tagged with seven runs in 4 2/3 innings with home runs by Elly De La Cruz, Tyler Stephenson and Spencer Steer.

The Reds send this lineup against Flaherty. 

TJ Friedl CF

Matt McLain 2B

Elly De La Cruz SS

Sal Stewart 1B

Nathaniel Lowe DH

Spencer Steer LF

Tyler Stephenson C

Will Benson RF

Ke'Bryan Hayes 3B

The Tigers counter with:

Kevin McGonigle SS

Matt Vierling CF

Colt Keith 3B

Riley Greene LF

Dillon Dingler C

Kerry Carpenter DH

Spencer Torkelson 1B

Wencel Perez RF

Javier Baez 2B

Reds Close To Getting Jose Trevino And Caleb Ferguson Back

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Dateline: Cincinnati

The Reds are about to get two players back from injury.

Left handed relief pitcher Caleb Ferguson pitched a simulated game on Friday. He will go to Chattanooga and pitch Tuesday and Friday. Then he will go to Louisville to pitch. He has had an obliques injurty since spring training.

Catcher Jose Trevino tested his back. 

He had two hits in two at bats for the Dragons and walked once while catching five innings.

"It went well," Terry Francona said. 

Trevino is likely to be activated on Sunday. The Reds will have to send P.J. Higgins back to Louisville.

Eugenio Suarez Goes On IL Kyle Nicolas To Louisville Reds Recall Two

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Dateline: Cincinnati 

As expected Eugenio Suarez was placed on the 10-day injured list on Saturday morning.

Kyle Nicolas was optioned to Triple A Lousiville.

  JJ Bleday will take Suarez' place on the Reds' active roster. Jose Franco will return to add long relief depth to the bullpen.

   A 28-year old native of Danville, Pennsylvania, who played high school baseball at A Crawford Mosley High School in Lynn Haven, Florida and then Vanderbilt University, Bleday signed a free agent contract with the Reds in December. 

The lefty hitter, who plays the corner outfield positions mainly, also has experience in center field. He had a good spring with the Reds in Goodyear, Arizona, hitting .317 with three doubles and four home runs in 15 games.

At Louisville Bleday played in 24 games with a .341 avergage, seven doubles, a triple and six homer. He drove in 19 and was on base at a .462 clip and a slugging percentage at .659.

"He did a really good job in spring," Terry Francona said. "PK (Louisville manager Pat Kelly) said he's been really good there. It is not for the reason you want (to call him up) but we asked him to go play and he did a really good job of that."

No one wants to be sent to the minor leagues but Bleday worked without sulking.

"It's tough but you have a goal in mind," Bleday said. "It is about keep being consistent. You go to work on some things to get ready for when this moment does come. It is always a bummer not making the team out of camp but right now I feel like I'm in a good spot. I am excited to be here in Cincinnati."

Franco pitched in three games after taking the roster spot of the injured, Nick Lodolo. He allowed two earned runs on seven hits and five walks in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out four.

Suarez was hitting, .231 with three doubles, three home runs and 11 RBI in 25 games. 

Nicolas was sent down because the Reds needed a fresh arm. He has been brilliant in spots but had trouble throwing strikes. He struck out seven in his 7 1/3 innings but has walked a whopping 13 batters, nearly two per inning. He has allowed seven earned runs but most of them, four were in one inning against the Tampa Bay Rays. Four of his last four appearances were scoreless but he had to be bailed out.

Eugenio Suarez Will Go On The Injured List

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Dateline: Cincinnati

Eugenio Suarez was in the original lineup on Friday (042426).

 He felt a twinge in batting practice and was scratched for the game's hero Nathaniel Lowe.

Suarez is going to miss time with a mild oblique strain. The Reds haven't officially put him on the injured list but according to manager Terry Francona, they will before the game on Saturday.

"He was taking BP today, and he felt his side," Francona said. "He didn't really think it was anything. Me and Freddie (Benevedes) were talking to him. We told him let's just get you looked at. When the doc saw him he said, 'I don't know'. We got an MRI and he has a low grade oblique. The hope is that after five, six days, if symptoms are gone. We'll get him imaged again and start to build him back up. But he's going to be an IL."

Mighty Mouse Saves The Day For Frustrated Andrew Abbott Nathaniel Lowe Lifts Them

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Dateline: Cincinnati

The game did not start out well for Andrew Abbott but "Mighty Mouse" in the person of Matt McLain and Nathaniel Lowe both hit their first two home runs of the season to slay the Detroit Tigers, 9-8.

Abbott gave up Riley Greene's third home run to lead off the second inning. It got worse in the third inning. Javier Baez hit his second home run to lead off the second inning. It just reached the seats barely out of center fielder Dane Myer's reach. One out later Torres walked again. Kevin McGonigle singled and Matt Vierling found the right center field gap for a two-run double.

The Reds returned from a 5-0 deficit to win their seventh one-run game of the season.

Framber Valdez, the Tigers' starter gave up a lead off single to Myers but he was erased on a double play by McLain. Sal Stewart started the bottom of the second with a walk. Spencer Steers hot smash eluded the glove of Baez at short. After Lowe, who replaced an ailing Eugenio Suarez, flied out to center. Stewart and Steer pulled a double steal. Tyler Stephenson and Rece Hinds struck out to stall the Reds. In the third McLain and Elly De La Cruz walked with two outs. Stewart hit the ball really hard but on a line at the head of left fielder, Greene who picked it off.

Detroit built a 5-0 lead in the fourth. 

Spencer Torkelson doubled to start the frame. Abbott got two quick outs but Jahmai Jones singled to score Torkelson.

Abbott was able to last just four innings. He was charged with five runs on six hits and two walks. He struck out four. Abbott's ERA skied to 6.59.

"I'm doing the same as I've done every other year and I'm not going to shy away from it," Abbott said defiantly. "It is like every two hitters, I'm locked in and everything is going well. Then one hitter I'm sporadic. It takes off from there. Then the next inning the same thing. One hitter I'm on the next I'm not. What I'm trying to do is eliminate the lulls in the game. You can have a lull in the season. Everyone is going to have one but lulling in the game can't happen. Tonight it was poor execution on my part."

Kyle Nicolas relievcd Abbott and walked the first two batters he faced. He got out of the inning by getting his childhood friend Dillon Dingler to hit the ball back to him for a 1-4-3 double play.

McLain hit his first home run of the season. He followed a walk to Myers with a long home run to center off the base of the batter's eye, 421 feet from home plate. De La Cruz singled and knocked Valdez out of the game.

"He looked like the kid that we saw in spring training," Francona said of McLain. "In his first at bat he hit the ball right up the middle. It was a really pretty swing and he barreled it up. You hope he doesn't try to do more and he didn't. The ball jumped off his bat."

Kyle Finnegan relieved Valdez. De La Cruz was thrown out stealing.  Stewart struck out swinging.

Valdez pitched 4 1/3 innings allowed two runs on four hits. His five walks caused the early exit. He struck out four.

The Tigers loaded the bases against Nicolas in the sixth with singles by Greene and Colt Keith and a walk to Torkelson.

Pierce Johnson came on to face Baez with no outs and the bases full.

Baez his a one hopper to De La Cruz at short. He threw home to retire Greene. Stephenson threw to first and Baez was called out but the call was overturned on review. Pinch hitter Kerry Carpentet lined into an unassisted double play to De La Cruz.

Nathaniel Lowe hit his first home run of the season in the bottom of the sixth. Lowe was signed as a non-roster free agent and had to earn a spot on the roster.

"During the signing process, Tito shot me straight and Brad (Meador) shot me straight. The guys understand that I might not be an everyday factor but there are going to be times that I can help the team win. To get a swing off like that against a Hall of Famer. Thankfully I was ready to go and we really like the result," Lowe said.

Rain poured at the end of the sixth and the game was delayed for an hour and 49 minutes. The Reds were lucky their was a window after the rain. It was an official game with the Reds trailing 5-3.

"We had to push a little bit," Francona said. "I just wanted to play nine."

Brock Burke came on for the Reds to start the seventh.

Will Vest entered the game for Detroit. He walked Myers and went to a full count on McLain with a 3-1 pitch that McLain thought he walked on. It was called a strike. Vest now wishes it was a walk because McLain lined his second home run of the game into the Reds' bullpen to tie the game. De La Cruz followed with his second single and moved to second when Stewart grounded slowly to third. Steer struck out. Tigers' manager A.J. Hinch brought in left hander Brant Hurter to face Lowe. He grounded to Baez at second but his throw eluded Torkelson at first. De La Cruz scored and Lowe went to second. Tyler Stephenson doubled to put the Reds ahead 7-5. 

"The bullpen has been picking us up all year," McLain said. "This one felt good."

It was the first time, McLain had a multi home run game in the regular season. He had one this past spring training.

"It was just the approach. Just being on time and trying to drive the fastball to right," McLain said. 

Tony Santillan started the eighth for the Reds. 

He struck out Greene but Torkelson launched his third home run of the season into the upper deck in left field. It was the first run Santillan has allowed in 12 appearances, covering 10 2/3 innings. Cole Keith singled and after Baez lined out. Kerry Carpenter put the Tigers back on top with his sixth home run of the year. 

Drew Anderson faced pinch hitter TJ Friedl to start the Reds' eighth. Friedl struck out swinging. Meyers lost a challenge on a 3-2 pitch and McLain flied out to left.

Graham Ashcraft pitched a scoreless ninth.

Kenley Jansen entered in the bottom of the ninth for a save try.

De La Cruz led off for the Reds. He flied out to left. Stewart struck out. Steer singled to right with two strikes on him. Lowe hit his second home run to win it for the Reds.

"We're trying to keep the game going. Lowe had a pretty swing earlier. Jansen's been carving up lefties though. He got a cutter and because of that we get to go home happy," Francona said. 

Reds Healing Jose Trevino Goes To Dayton

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Dateline: Cincinnati

Jose Trevino is going to Dayton to test his aching back. He will reunite with his protégé Alfredo Duno, the Reds hot young catching prospect.

He will catch five innings with Dayton Friday night (042426). He will rest Saturday and if all goes well will be activated on Sunday.

Caleb Ferguson pitched a live batting practice before the game. He has a strained oblique from spring training.

Eugenio Suarez was in the original lineup against the Tigers Friday but was replaced by Nathaniel Lowe as the designated hitter with back spasms.