The Reds and the Padres both had what felt like an unlimited number of chances to win this game in the first nine innings but they both struggled to come through with the clutch hit when they needed it most. All of that changed when Sal Stewart hit a 2-run home run in the 11th inning to give Cincinnati a lead they wouldn’t give up as they picked up the win in San Diego.
FinalRHECincinnati Reds (32-34)580San Diego Padres (34-32)3121W: Antone (1-0) L: Matsui (0-1) SV: Maxwell (1)Statcast | Box Score | Game Thread
Cincinnati would get the scoring going in the 2nd inning when Matt McLain drew a 2-out walk, stole second base, and then scored on a single by Tyler Stephenson. In the bottom of the inning Chase Burns had to work around a hit and a walk but he did just that.
His offense rewarded him in the next inning with a little help from the Padres. JJ Bleday would single with one out and then back-to-back walks loaded the bases. Spencer Steer then hit a weak comebacker to the pitcher – just 45 MPH off the bat – but Lucas Giolito couldn’t field it and everyone was safe on the error as a run scored to make it 2-0.
San Diego would get that run back in the bottom of the 3rd when Jackson Merrill tripled to plate Fernando Tatis Jr. from first base. Merrill then scored when Manny Machado singled up the middle to tie the game.
Cincinnati would threaten in the top of the 6th inning when Edwin Arroyo and Blake Dunn had back-to-back 2-out singles to put runners on the corners, but a 9-pitch at-bat for JJ Bleday ended in a strikeout to strand both runners. Burns headed back to the mound and picked up a strikeout to begin the inning. He then walked the next batter before giving up a double. The Reds then went to the bullpen to bring in Brock Burke. Former Red Miguel Andujar was called off of the bench to pinch hit but he was intentionally walked. Freddy Fermin then came up and hit a grounder to first base where Nathaniel Lowe fired home for a force out and then got back to the bag in time to get the throw back from Tyler Stephenson to complete an inning-ending double play.
The Reds found themselves in a good spot in the top of the 8th inning when Matt McLain and Tyler Stephenson both walked to start the frame. Edwin Arroyo was asked to lay down a bunt but failed at it twice before flying out to center. McLain would then steal third base, but a strikeout and a pop up would end the threat without a run as the game remained tied up at two.
San Diego would do their own bit of threatening in their half of the inning. Manny Machado led off with a double off of Caleb Ferguson and then he’d take third on a groundout. Ty France then came off of the bench to pinch hit, but Cincinnati opted to intentionally walk him and then bring in Tony Santillan. Samad Taylor then laid down a safety squeeze and Machado appeared to score the go-ahead run, but the umpires got together and ruled it a foul ball after it hit Taylor in the hand after bouncing off the ground as he was still in the batters box. Santillan would rebound and strike him out. Jase Brown then came up and got his bat broken but his blooper seemed destined to find grass in shallow right field but Blake Dunn came flying in and made a diving catch to end the inning.
After the Reds went down in order in the top of the 9th it was Santillan back to the mound in the bottom of the inning. He would get a groundout that deflected off of his glove and to Edwin Arroyo to start the inning. Sung-Mun Song then hit another back at Santillan, but this one hit off of his knee and then bounced into right field for a single. Fernando Tatis then lined a single into center to move Song up a base.
That ended the night for Santillan as Cincinnati brought in Sam Moll for a lefty-left matchup with Jackson Merrill. Moll induced a 50 MPH grounder directly into the ground but Merrill’s speed turned it into an infield hit to load the bases for Manny Machado. Moll won that battle with a strikeout to get to Gavin Sheets with the game on the line. The Reds lefty picked up another strikeout to send the game to extras.
With Spencer Steer serving as the free runner to begin the 10th inning he came around to score two pitches into the inning when Eugenio Suarez lined a double into the left field corner. That would be all they would get. Tejay Antone took over in the bottom of the 10th and after getting a strikeout to begin his night he gave up a game tying single to Samad Taylor. Antone got out of the inning after that and the game headed off to the 11th.
Blake Dunn began the inning at second as the free runner and he took third base on a flyout to left. It turned out not to matter as Sal Stewart came through with a 2-run home run to dead center to put Cincinnati up 5-3. Zach Maxwell took over for the bottom of the 11th and he got a pop up from the first batter he faced. Two pitches later he got a groundout to second base to put himself one out away from his first career save. Three pitches later he got it when Jackson Merrill hit a lazy fly ball to Dane Myers in center.
Key Moment of the Game
Sal Stewart’s go-ahead home run in the 11th inning. Honorable mention to Blake Dunn’s inning-ending catch in the 8th. Double honorable mention to Sam Moll getting back-to-back strikeouts with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 9th.
Notes Worth Noting
Despite teh game going 11 innings only one Red had multiple hits in the game – Tyler Stephenson. Four Padres had multiple hits in the game, including four of them for Fernando Tatis Jr.
Cincinnati went 4-for-17 with runners in scoring position and they left 14 men on base. San Diego went 3-for-20 with runners in scoring position and they left 13 runners on base.
Cincinnati had seven steals in the game. Matt McLain had three and Blake Dunn had two of his own.
The win put a stop to a 5-game losing streak.
The game ended at 1:30am in Cincinnati. If you stayed up to watch or listen to it at least it paid off for you.
Up Next for the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds vs San Diego Padres
Wednesday June 10th, 4:10pm ET
Brady Singer (2-6, 5.89 ERA) vs Michael King (4-3, 3.41 ERA)
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