Latest news with #NoelviMarte
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cincinnati Reds rally to tie but lose late as New York Mets avoid sweep
NEW YORK – It took Juan Soto selling out on contact in the eighth inning to score on a grounder to the drawn-in Cincinnati Reds infield for the New York Mets to finally wrestle a win from the Reds in the first series out of the All-Star break. Let the playoff chase begin. Reds Noelvi Marte move Terry Francona Terry Francona makes bold move to leverage Cincinnati Reds' Noelvi Marte skills in RF Reds Mets trade deadline Cincinnati Reds seek hitter, bullpen help before MLB trade deadline, barring sudden swoon The Mets won the series finale 3-2 on Sunday at Citi Field, but not before the Reds (52-48) won the first two games to win the series against the team with the National League's best home record. It was just the fourth home series loss for the Mets this season, first in more than a month. The Reds tied it in the top of the eighth with a two-out rally off Mets closer Edwin Diaz, the $102-million brother of former Reds closer Alexis Diaz. Diaz entered with Matt McLain at first, then walked Elly De La Cruz, gave up an infield single to Austin Hays to load the bases and hit Spencer Steer with a pitch to force in a run, before striking out Tyler Stephenson. For six innings the game was a pitcher's duel between All-Star left-handers Andrew Abbott of the Reds and David Peterson of the Mets. Peterson allowed only an unearned run, on De La Cruz's two-out single in a first inning that opened with an error on Mets second baseman Luisangel Acuna. Abbott gave up the tying run on a leadoff excuse-me tapper up the third-base line, sacrifice bunt and ground-ball single to right in the third. Acuna drove in the go-ahead run in the fifth on a one-hop double to the wall in left. It was the fourth quality start in six outings for Abbott, who was coming off a 1-2-3 inning of work in the All-Star game and now has a 2.13 ERA in 17 starts this season. "He does that every single game," manager Terry Francona said. "He's proven he's one of the better pitchers in the game." This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Reds rally to tie, lose late as New York Mets avoid sweep
New York Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
C. Notes: Noelvi Marte makes his outfield debut for Reds
NEW YORK — As far as first tests go, Noelvi Marte's debut in the outfield for the Cincinnati Reds was pretty easy. Through six innings in right field Sunday at Citi Field, Marte had exactly one ball hit to him, a third-inning grounder from New York Mets leadoff man Brandon Nimmo that got by second baseman Matt McLain. Advertisement With Mets center fielder Tyrone Taylor on second, Marte had a play at the plate, but Taylor was about halfway between third and home when Marte scooped the ball to throw home. Marte's one-hop toss was on line, but too late to get the speedy Taylor, opening the game's scoring in an eventual 3-2 Mets victory Sunday. 'He came in on the ball — it was (a) very good (throw),' Reds manager Terry Francona said. 'He kept the ball down, one-hop. He's OK. He's going to be fine.' Facing Mets lefty David Peterson, Francona put Marte in right field — marking the 23-year-old's first professional appearance in the outfield — to maximize the number of right-handed bats in the lineup. With Marte in right, the Reds' starting lineup had seven right-handed hitters, the switch-hitting Elly De La Cruz and left-handed hitting leadoff man TJ Friedl. Austin Hays, who was the DH for Sunday's game, and Connor Joe, who specializes in hitting left-handed pitching, are the only regular right-handed hitting outfielders on the team's roster. Utilityman Santiago Espinal has made eight starts in the outfield after playing there for the first time last year, but at this point is a better defender at third base. Several weeks ago, Marte, who played shortstop for most of his minor-league career before being traded to the Reds and moved to third base, was shagging balls in the outfield when Reds outfielder coach Collin Cowgill noticed him and thought he looked good out there. Since then, Marte had been working with Cowgill before games in the outfield. After Saturday's workout, Marte told Cowgill, 'I'm ready.' The next day, Marte found himself in the lineup and in right field. 'I'm a person who likes challenges, I like experimenting different things,' Marte said before the game, according to team interpreter Tomás Vera. 'If the team needs me there, I'll be there.' Advertisement Marte said as a kid he wanted to be an outfielder but was then moved to shortstop, where he was signed by the Seattle Mariners. The 6-foot-2, 216-pound Marte has the arm strength and athleticism to play in the outfield. He's made five errors in just 70 chances at third this year and 12 in 130 last season. Espinal, who has played five defensive positions this season, has one error in 119 total chances at third base this season, one at second base (38 chances) and one in the outfield (eight chances). The Reds already moved Marte from shortstop to third base because he was behind De La Cruz and McLain at the position, and another of the Reds' top prospects, Edwin Arroyo, also plays short. 'He's not going to be our everyday right fielder right now,' Francona said. 'There's going to be some days where it may be against a lefty that we think we can put a better team out there, and maybe — and hopefully — it helps us defensively.' Marte said he wasn't worried about playing in the outfield, noting that all infielders think they can play outfield. In Sunday's game against the Mets, the first ball hit in the air to right came with two outs in the seventh, after Jake Fraley had come into the game in the top of the inning as a pinch hitter against right-handed reliever Huascar Brazobán and Marte moved to third. 'I'm not sure we're dying to have guys start pelting balls to him in the outfield,' Francona said after the game. 'That's not the object here.' For his part, Marte said he felt comfortable in the outfield and thought it went well. He's open to the challenge of playing there more, knowing it's a good chance to expand his playing time and role. 'It's an opportunity,' Marte said, according to Vera. 'And when you have an opportunity, you have to be open to it.' Another of the Reds' top prospects is a third baseman. Sal Stewart, 21, was recently promoted to Triple-A Louisville after leading the Southern League in hitting. Two years ago, when Marte was 21, he started the season at Double-A Chattanooga before being promoted to Louisville and then made his big-league debut Aug. 19, 2023. Advertisement When Francona was asked whether Marte's move was a precursor to Stewart's arrival, he shot down that speculation. 'Oh, you might be getting a little ahead of us there,' Francona said. Francona said before Saturday's game against the Mets that Joe, who lost what would've been the final out of Friday's game in the lights and had it bounce off his glove, was distraught after the series-opening win. 'We would've had to talk him off the ledge if that'd ended (differently). Of course, I'd have been right there with him.' Instead, the Reds pulled out the victory, so Joe was saved the embarrassment of his miscue leading to a loss. Joe said his teammates and coaches told him to shake it off, and they knew it was just one play. So did Francona, but he also had the power to actually show Joe that he still trusted him by putting him in left field as a defensive replacement in the eighth inning Saturday. 'It was a concerted effort,' Francona said Sunday. 'I don't think when something like that happens, you put someone in the penalty box. He just missed the ball.' For as small a thing as it is to put someone in left field for two innings, it has an outsized meaning to both Joe and his teammates. 'I really appreciated it,' Joe said Sunday. 'I think that's him. Everything I've heard about Tito is on par with that exact moment and that exact showing. These are big, meaningful games, and we want to do nothing but win, and for him to put that trust in me in a big, big situation goes a long way with me and means a lot to me.' Joe said as soon as he got back on the field, he forgot about Friday's error — 'once you get out there, it's status quo.' But he won't forget what Francona did by showing his trust. 'For him to do that when the game is on the line, it goes further than what anyone could tell me,' Joe said. Advertisement After one game this spring, Francona noted Stewart was as good a young hitter as he'd seen in a long time. Stewart is one step closer to being seen by Francona regularly. Stewart and outfielder Héctor Rodríguez were promoted from Double-A Chattanooga to Triple-A Louisville last week. 'With those two guys, I think we all feel like they're a part of what we're going to be and we're excited about that,' Francona said. 'We want to make sure they understand that it's not just getting to Cincinnati, but get here ready to help us win.' At Chattanooga, Stewart hit .306/.377/.473 with 10 home runs and 19 doubles. When promoted, Stewart was leading the Southern League in batting average and was third in OPS. Sunday, in his third game at Triple-A, Stewart hit his first home run at that level. '(The minor-league staff has been) staying on Sal about not having the ups and downs of if I get hits or if I don't. Cause when you get here, you don't get hits every day and you've still got to be a good player,' Francona said. 'I think we tried to impress that upon Sal — we're not picking on you, we f—ing love you, but we're going to stay on you.' The message to Rodríguez has been similar. A converted infielder, the 21-year-old Rodriguez was acquired from the Mets in the deal that sent Tyler Naquin to New York near the 2022 trade deadline. Rodríguez was second in the Southern League in batting average (.298) and slugging percentage (.481), and he was fourth in OPS (.838) and fifth in home runs (12). In the Reds' system, he's played all three outfield spots, but has been in right field this season. In his second game at Triple-A on Saturday, Rodríguez reached base four times, going 2-for-3 with a double and a walk. 'They both have a chance to really help us,' Francona said. Advertisement De La Cruz (0-for-2) and Andrew Abbott (1 inning pitched) appeared in the All-Star Game in Atlanta. The Reds began the second half by taking two of three from the Mets in front of three sellout crowds at Citi Field. The Reds' series win in New York, coupled with an Arizona Diamondbacks sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals, moved Cincinnati into third in the National League Central, 7 1/2 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs, and 2 1/2 games behind the San Diego Padres for the third wild-card spot. The Reds go to Washington for three against the Washington Nationals, with rookie right-hander Chase Burns making his fifth start Tuesday. After a day off Thursday, the Reds return home to start a long homestand beginning with three games against the Tampa Bay Rays. • RHP Hunter Greene (right groin strain) is expected to start a rehab assignment in Arizona this week before moving to Triple-A Louisville. • RHP Carson Spiers (right shoulder impingement) was returned from his rehab assignment with right biceps soreness. Spiers threw 75 pitches in 3 1/3 innings in his start Saturday. He gave up three runs on four hits with four walks and three strikeouts. • RHP Ian Gibaut (right shoulder impingement) has begun throwing. • LHP Wade Miley (left flexor strain) has been playing catch and hopes to return this season. • Triple-A Louisville (41-55): OF Rece Hinds notched his first multihomer game of the season Saturday, going 3-for-5 with two home runs. • Double-A Chattanooga (47-39): OF Austin Hendrick hit his second career leadoff home run in Saturday's Lookouts win. He has 10 home runs on the season. The 24-year-old, who was the team's first-round pick in 2020, is having his best season yet as a pro, hitting .266/.342/.462 in 60 games. Advertisement • High-A Dayton (28-59): SS Carlos Sanchez is hitting .290/.400/.435 with a pair of home runs in 18 games at Dayton after his promotion from Class-A Daytona. In 60 games with the Tortugas, the 20-year-old Sanchez hit .308/.429/.449 with four home runs. • Class-A Daytona (41-47): C Alfredo Duno extended his on-base streak to 39 games Sunday (not including his appearance in the Futures Game) with a pair of walks. Over his streak, he has 41 walks to go along with 41 hits and four home runs.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Matt McLain's RBI single
Matt McLain singles to left field in the top of the 3rd inning to score Noelvi Marte to knot the game at 2
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Reds stun Rockies with much-needed ninth inning comeback win
The Cincinnati Reds pushed awfully hard to even their series with the Colorado Rockies, just like manager Terry Francona said he wanted. Facing Rockies fireball-closer Victor Vodnik in the ninth inning and trailing, 3-2, Cincinnati's Will Benson tripled off the top of the wall in left-center field. He missed walking the Rockies off by inches but at least drove in Spencer Steer to tie the contest at Great American Ball Park on Saturday, July 12. Then, two batters later, Noelvi Marte slapped a grounder to Colorado second baseman Orlando Arcia, who erred when he bobbled the ball. Benson scored for a 4-3 Reds win before a crowd of 33,663. How big was the win? Francona has emphasized repeatedly he's never won or seen a game that wasn't "big" or meaningful or important to some degree. But in the context of his Thursday, July 10, comments in which he said the team needed to push through the Rockies series, there was some truth that Saturday's victory was a consequential one. "Sometimes they feel bigger, like (Sunday) because we're gonna sit for the next four days," Francona said. "I get it. We fight hard to get where we are and we need to go the other way, not backward." The game started brightly for Cincinnati when Austin Hays drove in the opening run of the game on a sacrifice fly in the first inning for a 1-0 lead. Hays, who drew criticism Friday, July 11, for his 0-for-5 game against the Rockies, bounced back to his usual form less than 24 hours later as he went 2-for-4 with the RBI. That was the Reds' only run until the seventh inning when Marte clapped a solo homer to left, which was his second home run in as many games. Marte (1-for-4) wasn't credited with an RBI on his game-winning contact because of the Arcia error. If the Reds go on to accomplish something meaningful in the second half of this season, they might look back on that game-winning contact as an important moment in the season. As things stood on Saturday, the Reds were 49-47. With games still to be played, the Reds were 7.5 games back of the Chicago Cubs in the National League Central race. In the NL Wild Card, the deficit was three games. The better the finish to the first half, the better their platform will be to launch a run in the second half of the season. In the NL, the third Wild Card berth has proven to be attainable for a wide variety of clubs. While the New York Mets were a stronger entrant in the third Wild Card position last year (89-73), the Philadelphia Phillies were far from an inspiring 87-game winner in 2022. The Diamondbacks had an even less impressive regular season in 2023, and they took the No. 3 Wild Card spot at 84-78. Both the Diamondbacks and Phillies went on to take the NL pennant. The Mets advanced to the NL Championship Series. In short, just getting to the postseason can pay off big time. There are compelling reasons for the Reds to maintain their current position, as well as the posture of a contender when it comes to the open market for personnel ahead of the trade deadline. They're well and truly in the postseason race, but there's more work − or pushing as Francona might say − to do. "We know where we are and we what we have to do after this break," Reds pitcher Brady Singer said. "Yeah, we're gonna go get a nice break and push to the end of this thing. I trust a lot in this team and the fight we're showing. We just showed it right there, so we're gonna fight and claw in the second half." Cincinnati will finish the first half with a winning record regardless of the outcome of the series finale against the Rockies on Sunday. They've already bested last year's record at the All-Star break (47-49). A win Sunday would be their 50th in 2025, and mark the first time the club reached 50 wins before the break since 2023 (50-41). This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Reds stun Rockies with ninth inning comeback win
Reuters
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Reds rally for two in ninth to slay Rockies
July 12 - Will Benson laced a game-tying RBI triple in the ninth inning and scored the winning run on an error two batters later for the host Cincinnati Reds, who edged the Colorado Rockies 4-3 in the middle game of a three-game series. Austin Hays lofted a first-inning sacrifice fly before Noelvi Marte homered in the seventh to begin a comeback from a 3-1 deficit for the Reds (49-47), whose win ensured they'd reach the All-Star Break with a winning record while remaining the only team in the majors to not be swept in a series this season. Cincinnati's 31 straight series without being swept is one shy of the team record to start a season, set by the 1970 team. Ryan Ritter hit a two-run homer while Yanquiel Fernandez had an RBI double for the Rockies, who were three outs away from clinching just their third series win of the season. The Rockies have dropped eight of 11 this month to fall to 22-73, which has them on pace to finish with 124 losses, the most in the modern era and three more than last season's Chicago White Sox. Emilio Pagan (2-2) wriggled out of a first-and-third, none-out jam in the ninth before the Reds needed just 10 pitches to complete their comeback against Victor Vodnik (3-3). Spencer Steer singled on Vodnik's first pitch before Benson tripled on the right-hander's next offering. Vodnik walked pinch-hitter Jake Fraley, after which Marte hit a hard one-hopper to second baseman Orlando Arcia, who was drawn in for a potential play at the plate. But Arcia bobbled the ball and didn't throw home as Benson slid in for the winning run. Elly De La Cruz had two hits and a stolen base for the Reds while Matt McLain, Austin Hays and Gavin Lux all finished with two hits apiece. Fernandez was 3-for-4. The Reds' rally saved Brady Singer from suffering a hard-luck loss while costing Bradley Blalock a chance at his first big league win. Singer gave up the three runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out nine over 6 1/3 innings. Blalock allowed one run on six hits and no walks while striking out one over 5 2/3 innings. --Field Level Media
