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Yahoo
3 days ago
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Terry Francona wins 2,000th game as manager, Reds go to All-Star break on a high
The Cincinnati Reds' final game ahead of the All-Star break saw history made at Great American Ball Park. The Reds' 4-2 victory against the Colorado Rockies saw Cincinnati's Terry Francona earn the 2,000th victory of his managerial career before a crowd of 24,541 on Sunday, July 13. Francona burnished his career resume as he became the 13th manager in MLB history to reach the 2,000-win threshold. Reds starting rotation Nick Lodolo Here's how the Reds' pitching rotation will look coming out of the MLB All-Star break "Some of those names up there are like baseball royalty," Francona said. "I'm the − if there's an adjective for 'baseball lifer,' it's me. I'm not overly smart. I'm a second-semester freshman at Arizona still. I love the game, probably too much, and I hope, I hope I treat the players like you're supposed to because that's what I always try to do." After the final out, Francona's players hugged him as they came off the field. Closer Emilio Pagán said he safeguarded the ball used for the final out and then personally ensured Francona received it, partly so that he didn't have the burden of being responsible for the artifact. A short celebration occurred in the Reds' clubhouse immediately following the game, and Francona described his reaction to it as emotional. Later, Reds Principal Owner Bob Castellini was seen in the clubhouse and he entered the off-clubhouse media room to watch Francona's post-game remarks. "It's not often that I get a little choked up and that hit me pretty hard," Francona said. "This is a good place. There's a lot of good people here. This is a good place. Actually, let me amend that. It's a great place." The box score will reflect that Nick Martinez was the winning pitcher for Francona's historic victory. Martinez was well aware. "Very special for me. Got a copy of the lineup card," Martinez said. "It'll be hung up in my house. Yeah, very special for me." Pagán, a player Francona entrusted with much responsibility in 2025, recorded the final out of the milestone. "Wade (Miley) was giving me a hard time," Pagán said. "He was like, 'you know, he's probably going in the Hall of Fame and forever, when they play his 2,000th victory you're gonna be in that highlight.' I didn't think about it like that as I was running in. If I would have, I probably would have been a little more nervous. It's super-cool." Francona insisted afterward he hadn't thought much about his forthcoming 2,000th win, nor had he widely discussed it as it approached, even as some of the biggest figures in and around the game, former players, peers and others prepared for his achievement. "I'm so glad that we won today. I'm telling you, that's the way that I'm built," Francona said. "I wanted us to win so bad today. I wanted us to win so bad yesterday. It's gonna happen again Friday (July 18)." An ordinary, flawed game helped produce Francona's extraordinary feat. For the second day in a row, a Rockies fielding error resulted in the game-winning run for Cincinnati. It was a comeback win, and the Reds need wins of all varieties to buoy their playoff hopes. Ahead of the Rockies series, Francona implored his players to push through the weekend and not cede any of their hard-earned progress up to that point. The Reds dropped the series opener Friday, July 11, but salvaged the last two games to enter the All-Star break on a winning note. The victory also allowed Cincinnati to reach 50 wins by the All-Star break for the first time since 2023. When the Reds resume the regular season following the break, they'll do so with a 50-47 record and as a real player in the race for the postseason. The Reds are only 2 1/2 games back of the San Diego Padres, who own the third National League Wild Card spot. The Chicago Cubs won their 57th game Sunday and are 7 1/2 games ahead of the Reds in the NL Central. "You hopefully play yourself into a position where, when you show up at the ballpark you get a little nervous," Francona said. "Like, that's fun. Like, you've got a little anxiety. To me, that's what this is all about. We've really got to push but I still think our better days are ahead of us and I think it'll be very exciting. "The best way I know how to do better is to win Friday (July 18). That's the best formula." The next time players in Reds uniforms are in action will be in the MLB All-Star Game Tuesday, July 15, as Elly De La Cruz and Andrew Abbott will represent the club at the Atlanta Braves' Truist Park. Cincinnati will pick up regular-season play Friday after the All-Star break with three-game series on the road against the New York Mets and the Washington Nationals. The Reds' next home game at Great American Ball Park is scheduled for July 25. The game that day against Tampa Bay will commence what is officially considered a nine-game homestand against the Rays, Los Angeles Dodgers and Braves. The final game of the Braves series (Saturday, Aug. 2) is the Speedway Classic at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee. The Reds will be considered the home team fot the game. Cincinnati will then dive into a stretch of games primarily against NL Central opposition. The Reds will travel to the Chicago Cubs' Wrigley Field (Aug. 4-6) followed by four games at Pittsburgh's PNC Park (Aug. 7-10). After hosting the Philadelphia Phillies for three games (Aug. 11-13), Cincinnati will welcome the Milwaukee Brewers back to "GABP" for the final time in 2025 (Aug. 15-17). This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Terry Francona wins 2,000th game as manager, Reds to All-Star break on a high
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
'Just be Chase Burns': Cincinnati Reds' advice for top prospect's MLB debut vs. Yankees
Matt McLain got his first impression of Chase Burns last summer when the Cincinnati Reds drafted the college right-hander No. 2 overall and sent him and other draft picks to Arizona, where McLain was rehabbing an injury. Reds closer Emilio Pagán got his first impression of Burns a few months later during the Reds Caravan. Advertisement It was the same first impression. Reds Cardinals series Andrew Abbott Andrew Abbott shows win-now value of Cincinnati Reds promotion of Chase Burns in another win Reds player moves Chase Burns Cincinnati Reds to call up top prospect Chase Burns to debut Tuesday vs. New York Yankees 'He's a competitor, clearly,' McLain said. So when Burns takes the mound Tuesday, June 24 for his major-league debut and stares down the barrel of Aaron Judge's bat in the first inning of a start against the New York Yankees, the advice from his new big-league teammates is pretty simple: Lean into the fight. And enjoy. 'He pitches with a lot of emotion already anyway,' Pagán said. 'He always pitches kind of toeing that red line, so don't change that. Instead of trying to tone it down and trying to maybe be something you're not, just be you. And just remind him to have fun.' Advertisement Burns has roared through three levels of the minors this season, dominating at each stop with a powerful fastball, two excellent breaking pitches and competitive fire on the mound that looks at times like another gear. The high-octane Yankees at packed, rollicking, bandbox Great American Ball Park? 'That's usually when you get the most out of guys that are like that,' McLain said, 'and enjoy that environment.' Chase Burns, throwing batting practice in February during his first big-league spring training, is scheduled to make his major league debut against the New York Yankees on Tuesday, June 24 at Great American Ball Park. Much like Rhett Lowder, who went from being drafted seventh overall to the big leagues last year in 13 months, Burns was in big-league camp this year in his first pro season, throwing his first professional pitch in his lone inning of work in the Cactus League before heading to minor-league camp to start working on the path that led to Tuesday. Advertisement 'I caught him in spring, and his stuff is legit,' catcher Tyler Stephenson said. 'I'm excited to see what he can do. 'He's got to trust himself that he deserves to be here.' Thirteen starts this year at three levels showed that much as Burns, 22, went 7-3 with a 1.77 ERA and 89 strikeouts in 66 innings. He walked just 13 batters, including just four in eight starts during his stretch at Double-A Chattanooga. 'Obviously, he hasn't done it at the big-league level,' Pagán said, 'but what he's shown up to this point in college and coming through the minor leagues, nothing's really fazed him to this point. Advertisement 'Spending time with him during the Reds Caravan he seemed like an awesome kid, super sure of himself, pretty dialed in on his process and how he goes about his business,' Pagán added. 'All those things are important to leading to success in this league. You put all that together with the stuff he has physically, his natural ability, and it's exciting.' Veterans in the clubhouse say they were impressed with the way Burns handled himself in camp, professionally, with purpose. Like Rhett Lowder, center, Chase Burns was in major league spring training after being drafted the previous June. Burns will make his MLB debut after only 13 starts in the minor leagues. 'What he does is more than enough,' said McLain, who made his own successful debut just two years ago and expects to talk with Burns before Tuesday's start. 'He doesn't need to be anyone other than himself.' Advertisement Veteran pitcher Brady Singer's advice for Baseball America's eighth-ranked prospect in the game as he faces a Yankees team that leads the American League in scoring and home runs: 'Trust your stuff.' 'He's very lucky to have some of the best stuff I've ever seen from a young pitcher,' Singer said. 'So trust yourself in the zone. You don't need to be as perfect as you think you might need to be. Try to treat it like another game that you're pitching, try to not do too much. Calm down and collect yourself and just go to work.' Easier said than done for any player making his debut, especially in that first inning when butterflies and adrenaline rushes are all but inevitable. 'He's worked his whole life to get here,' Pagán said. 'And there's no need to put any added whatever by trying to be something you're not. Just go be Chase Burns. That's been good enough this whole time.' This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Reds teammates advice for Chase Burns in debut against Yankees
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Abbott throws 7 strong innings, lifts Reds to 4-1 win over the Cardinals
Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Emilio Pagan (15) and catcher Jose Trevino celebrate a victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in a baseball game Sunday, June 22, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson) Cincinnati Reds' Elly De La Cruz, right, and Matt McLain (9) celebrate a victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in a baseball game Sunday, June 22, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson) Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Andrew Abbott throws during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Sunday, June 22, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson) Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Andrew Abbott throws during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Sunday, June 22, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson) Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Emilio Pagan (15) and catcher Jose Trevino celebrate a victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in a baseball game Sunday, June 22, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson) Cincinnati Reds' Elly De La Cruz, right, and Matt McLain (9) celebrate a victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in a baseball game Sunday, June 22, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson) Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Andrew Abbott throws during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Sunday, June 22, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson) ST. LOUIS (AP) — Andrew Abbott retired the final 18 batters he faced in seven commanding innings, and the Cincinnati Reds avoided a three-game sweep with a 4-1 win against the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday. Jose Trevino, Jake Fraley and Elly de la Cruz each doubled and scored, and Matt McLain hit his ninth home run for the Reds. Advertisement The Cardinals had a five-game winning streak snapped. Trevino doubled and scored on Fraley's liner to the right-center field gap that put the Reds ahead 2-1 in the fifth. After a passed ball, Fraley scored on TJ Friedl's sacrifice fly. Cincinnati extended the lead when de la Cruz doubled to lead off the sixth and scored on Gavin Lux's RBI groundout. Abbott (7-1) allowed only three singles, including Yohel Pozo's RBI single in the second inning. The Cardinals didn't have another base runner until Taylor Rogers issued a one-out walk to Jose Barrero in the eighth. Abbott had three strikeouts and lowered his ERA to 1.79. Jake Fraley had 10 putouts in right field on fly balls. Advertisement Emilio Pagán worked a spotless ninth for his 18th save in 21 chances. Miles Mikolas (4-5) allowed three runs, two earned, in five innings for St. Louis. He struck out six and walked one. McLain put Cincinnati up 1-0 on a 387-foot home run into the right-field bullpen in the first inning. St. Louis responded with a run in the second on three straight grounders to the right side — singles by Nolan Arenado and Pozo sandwiched around a fielding error by McLain on Thomas Saggese's grounder to second. Key moment After Pozo's single tied the game and put runners on first and second with no outs, Abbott struck out Jordan Walker to start his run of dominance. He got Barrero to foul out and Brendan Donovan to fly out to end the threat. Advertisement Key stat The Reds have not been swept in any of their first 25 series this season. It's their longest streak to start a season since 1989 (30 consecutive series). Up next The Cardinals host the Cubs on Monday night the first meeting of the division rivals this season, with St. Louis LHP Matthew Liberatore (4-6, 4.08 ERA) set to start. RHP Nick Lodolo (5-5, 3.71) is set to start the Reds' series opener Monday against the New York Yankees at Great American Ball Park. ___ AP MLB:
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cincinnati Reds fight back to take series opener from Minnesota Twins
The Cincinnati Reds' clutch muscle appears to have grown quite strong. The Reds flexed that muscle Sunday against the MLB-best Detroit Tigers in a come-from-behind road win. They flexed it again Tuesday at Great American Ball Park as they rebounded twice from deficits to take the series opener from the Minnesota Twins at Great American Ball Park. Advertisement The emergence of this clutch play by Cincinnati is coinciding with winning eight of their last 10 games, arguably their hottest run of 2025, and the appearance of a team with at least some of the ingredients needed to be a contender. On Tuesday, T.J. Friedl's go-ahead, two-run double in the sixth inning proved decisive as the Reds won, 6-5, before a crowd of 26,153. That was one of several important cracks off the Reds' bats on a night when all six of their runs were scored with two outs, and when the Reds faced an early 1-0 deficit and later a 5-4 hole after a Christian Encarnacion-Strand error cracked the door open for the Twins to retake the lead. "We did some good things," Reds manager Terry Francona said. "We made some mistakes, but we did some good things. They're in a good place where they're fighting. Again, it's not always gonna be perfect but they're fighting. I like that a lot." Reds pitcher Scott Barlow (2-0) earned the win as Friedl's hit following his 1 1/3 innings of scoreless work. The ensuing save by Emilio Págan was his 17th, putting him in a tie for the sixth-most saves in baseball. Advertisement Cincinnati improved to 38-35 with the victory, seven games behind the NL Central-leading Chicago Cubs and only 1 1/2 games out of the third wild-card spot. The teams will meet Wednesday for the middle game of their series (7:10 p.m.) as Reds starter Nick Lodolo (4-5, 3.76 ERA) is scheduled to throw against the Twins' Bailey Ober (4-3, 4.40 ERA). Byron Buxton enjoyed an interesting sequence of back-to-back plays on both sides of the ball. First, he robbed Will Benson of a home run at the wall in center field to end the second inning and then led off the top of the third inning with a homer of his own to almost the same part of the field where he made his defensive play. Twins center fielder Byron Buxton kept the Reds from taking an early lead when he went above the wall to rob Will Benson of a solo home run in the second inning. Buxton came to the plate in the next half inning and homered for a 1-0 Twins lead. Benson would have his revenge. Advertisement The Reds were no-hit into the fourth inning when Benson hammered a two-run double to the left-center field wall. Elly De La Cruz scored on the double. He was hitless but walked twice with a steal and a run scored. He lined out in the eighth inning on a screaming line drive to center field measured at 110 mph off the bat. De La Cruz's offensive performance certainly didn't hurt his MLB All-Star Game candidacy with his batting average at .270 and his OPS up to .845. Now in front at 2-1, Cincinnati wasn't done in the fourth even though it probably should have been when Spencer Steer struck out for what should have been the third out of the at-bat. But Steer reached on a passed ball that rolled to the backstop after his swinging, third strike. Given the proverbial extra out to play with, the Reds capitalized. Jake Fraley singled to drive in Benson and Steer for a 4-1 lead. Advertisement National League All-Star candidate Andrew Abbott was cruising along in the meantime. The 4-1 lead was intact into the sixth inning, and Abbott was good enough to be out of that inning but for third baseman Encarnacion-Strand's error on a throw to first base on a routine ground ball. TJ Friedl heads out of the batter's box after connecting on his two-run, sixth-inning double that capped the Reds' second comeback of the game in their 6-5 victory over the Minnesota Twins Tuesday, June. 17. The throw pulled Steer off the bag, allowing Ty France to reach. Now, Minnesota had been gifted an out. They made it count. Two singles followed France, the second of which was hit by Trevor Larnach and drove France in. Then, Harrison Bader clapped a three-run homer to right field. Fraley got leather on the ball at the wall but couldn't secure the catch as the ball deflected off his glove, onto the top of the right-field wall and eventually over. The Twins led, 5-4. Advertisement "I think it was a difficult play and he got turned around, and that made it more difficult," Francona said. "It's a shame because we get to the third out in the sixth and (Abbott's). We're thinking probably send him back out. Not only does that not happen but the inning got extended. You know, a three-run homer that goes off of Jake's glove. That was unfortunate." Asked about Bader's homer run, Fraley said: "Sometimes you make plays and sometimes you don't and he hit it well. Didn't think that it was gonna go too far and then switched my hips and the realized 'OK, I'm probably gonna have to jump up over the wall here to get to it... Just didn't stick in the glove." Fraley and Reds fired right back. Again with two outs, Fraley and Matt McLain singled to put runners on first and second. Friedl then lofted his double into right-center field to drive in both runners and retake the lead at 6-5. Abbott was off the hook for a decision at that point. His record remained at 6-1 with a 1.84 ERA. Just one of the five runs against him was earned. Reds starter Andrew Abbott couldn't get out of a messy sixth inning in which the Twins scored four runs, all unearned. Abbott pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing five runs, one earned, on eight hits. He struck out five and walked none, lowering his ERA to 1.84. "I credit our defense a lot. I'm still gonna sit here and credit them," Abbott said. "They've done a lot for me in every game up to this point. We all have our days. Those guys are gonna put in the work tomorrow and come back ready to go." Advertisement Barlow tossed 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. Tony Santillan added a scoreless inning with two strikeouts, and Págan closed the door. "Barlow gave us four big outs," Francona said. "He was the biggest cog tonight. He really pitched well." This story was updated to add a video. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Reds take series opener from Minnesota Twins
Reuters
10-06-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Wade Miley captures first win since '23 as Reds top Guardians
June 10 - Jake Fraley socked a solo homer in a three-hit game while Wade Miley earned his first victory in nearly two years as the visiting Cincinnati Reds beat the Cleveland Guardians 7-4 on Monday night. Miley (1-0) worked five innings, allowing three runs on five hits in his second appearance since joining the team on Wednesday following his recovery from Tommy John surgery performed in May 2024. The 38-year-old struck out two and walked four. Miley won for the first time since Sept. 21, 2023, when he and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the St. Louis Cardinals. The left-hander also made longtime Cleveland manager Terry Francona's return with Cincinnati a successful one. Emilio Pagan worked the ninth inning for his 16th save. The Reds won their fourth straight game overall and clinched the season series with in-state rival Cleveland, claiming custody of the Ohio Cup for the first time in 11 years. Cincinnati won all three at home against the Guardians last month. TJ Friedl hit a solo homer in the third inning, then scored on a Christian Encarnacion-Strand sacrifice fly in the fifth that put Cincinnati ahead for good at 4-3. Gavin Lux (sixth-inning single), Will Benson (seventh-inning single) and Connor Joe (ninth-inning double) tacked on RBI hits for the Reds. The Guardians scored three times in the bottom of the third on singles from Angel Martinez, Jose Ramirez and Carlos Santana to go up 3-2, but Fraley tied it in the fourth with his homer to right-center. Fraley finished 3-for-4, raising his average to .218. Guardians right-hander Luis L. Ortiz (3-7) last 4 2/3 innings and gave up four runs on nine hits. He struck out five and walked one while falling to 1-5 in nine starts since April 23. Cleveland has dropped three of four on a six-game homestand that began with a weekend series against the Houston Astros. Ramirez extended his on-base streak to 35 games, and Bo Naylor hit a solo homer off Graham Ashcraft in the seventh inning. --Field Level Media
