All Gas, No Breaks: Rays 2, Reds 7

That was not an aesthetically pleasing game for the Tampa Bay Rays in any shape.

The Rays wore retro 1998 black caps, with the old-school “TB” Devil Rays logo and a Hall of Fame side patch as part of Major League Baseball’s celebration of this weekend’s Hall of Fame induction. Instead of conjuring nostalgia, Tampa Bay’s mismatched threads, retro caps paired with the current light blue jersey, felt more like a disjointed omen of what was to come against a Reds squad in their fully intact City Connect uniforms.

From the outset, Rays’ speedster Chandler Simpson did his best to flip the script. Leading off, Simpson scorched a single into right field and legged it into a double through sheer velocity and determination. He quickly moved to third, flashing his wheels again on what would have been a risky move on an infield grounder to shortstop for almost anyone else. Yet, with Simpson ninety feet from home, the bats behind him could not drive him in, squandering the early threat as Jonathan Aranda fanned and Junior Caminero flew out to end the inning.

The Reds’ lineup, paired with fully coherent uniforms and consistent bats, found its groove quicker. Zack Littell initially looked steady on the mound, recording two quick outs in the bottom half of the first, but then Elly De La Cruz sharply singled into right. Austin Hays followed suit, singling up the middle, and suddenly, a potential Reds rally started building. Littell, however, got Gavin Lux into an inning-ending groundout, temporarily restoring order.

It didn’t take long for Cincinnati’s consistency to break through. In the bottom of the second, Tyler Stephenson sent Littell’s pitch soaring over the wall in right-center field, giving the Reds an early 1-0 lead.

The Rays responded in the third, and Simpson was at the heart of it. This time he reached on a fielder’s choice, and promptly stole his 32nd base of the season before moving to third on a productive flyout from Yandy Díaz. Jonathan Aranda redeemed his earlier strikeout by lining a single into center, tying things up at one for the moment.

In the fourth, Tampa Bay briefly took the lead. Christopher Morel singled to center and stole second base, setting the stage for Taylor Walls to hit a run-scoring double into right, giving the Rays a temporary 2-1 lead.

The bottom of the fourth was a key turning point. Austin Hays ignited trouble with a single and then reached safely on a Gavin Lux fielder’s choice thanks to some questionable baserunning that drew frustration from Taylor Walls, who visibly protested Hays’ route through the infield grass, interfering with Aranda’s throw. Hesitation by Littell on a bunt in the next at-bat exacerbated the mess, loading bases with no outs. Will Benson hit a grounder to Aranda that was successfully thrown and caught for the second out of the inning, though Hays scored to tie the game.

Noelvi Marte followed with a timely single to left, knocking in Lux to reclaim the lead. TJ Friedl then laid down another bunt hit to load the bases, showcasing Cincinnati’s ability to play small ball effectively before the inning came to a close on a Matt McClain groundout.

From that point, the Reds steadily widened their advantage. The fifth inning featured Elly De La Cruz hitting a blistering double, though Littell maneuvered them through trouble without giving up runs.

Littell’s luck ran dry with two outs in the sixth. Noelvi Marte crushed a double to center, setting the stage for TJ Friedl, who punctuated his standout evening by depositing a Littell pitch deep into right field for a two-run homer, making it 5-2 Reds.

Lyon Richardson entered in relief for Cincinnati and continued to suppress Tampa Bay’s attempts at revival. Even when the Rays managed to get baserunners, Richardson helped the Reds induce crucial outs, bolstered by defensive gems like Austin Hays’ diving catch to rob Christopher Morel’s line drive in the sixth.

Ian Seymour relieved Littell in the seventh, but the Reds’ bats remained relentless. Elly De La Cruz and Austin Hays greeted him with back-to-back singles, setting up Tyler Stephenson, whose two-run single effectively extinguished any lingering Rays optimism, giving the Reds a five-run lead.

In the eighth inning, Tampa Bay teased a potential rally when Junior Caminero’s sharp liner ricocheted off Reds pitcher Tony Santillan. But the baseball gods granted no favors. A subsequent double play erased Caminero and further dampened any hopes of a comeback.

As the game wound down, Edwin Uceta navigated a messy bottom half, giving up another blistering double to De La Cruz before escaping a bases-loaded jam created by intentionally walking Jake Fraley and then walking Spencer Steer after a balk. De La Cruz was an unstoppable force with four hits on the night.

Emilio Pagán was tasked with sealing the Reds’ victory in the ninth and retired the side in order.

The Reds looked like the better team tonight, both in terms of performance and appearance. Consistency is king in baseball, and tonight, it wore Cincy black uniforms.

These two teams play again tomorrow in game two of the series. RHP Ryan Pepiot (6-8, 3.59) is scheduled to start for the Rays opposite LHP Andrew Abbott (8-1, 2.13) for the Reds.