The Reds got exactly what they needed Wednesday afternoon: a big offensive burst, three balls out of the park, and a strong return from Brandon Williamson in a 7-3 win over the Padres at Great American Ball Park.
That finished off the rubber match of the three-game set and moved Cincinnati to 67-73, though the club still sits seven games behind the third National League Wild Card.
The bats picked up right where they left off after Tuesday night’s 4-2 win, when the Reds pieced together two runs in the bottom of the eighth. This time, they jumped on San Diego early and kept stacking innings.
Juan Brito opened the home run parade in the bottom of the second, launching a three-run shot to right for his first career Major League homer and tying the game at 3-3. Héctor Rodríguez followed with a blast to right-center, his fifth homer of the season, and that swing put Cincinnati in front 4-3.
From there, the Reds kept stretching the lead. Matt McLain added a sacrifice fly in the sixth to make it 5-3, then JJ Bleday crushed a two-run homer to right in the seventh - his 22nd of the season - to cap the scoring at 7-3.
Cincinnati finished with seven runs on 10 hits and piled up four extra-base hits, with the three home runs and Bleday’s double doing the heavy lifting. The pressure forced Padres right-hander Casey Mize out after just four innings and 85 pitches.
Williamson’s outing was just as important. The Reds left-hander hadn’t pitched since late April, but in his first start in four months and four days, he gave Cincinnati 5 1/3 innings and allowed three earned runs on seven hits. He walked two, struck out five, and threw 58 of 87 pitches for strikes.
His absence has loomed large in Cincinnati’s season. Williamson’s injury set off a chain reaction that sent a number of Reds pitchers to the injured list, both in the rotation and the bullpen.
His last start came on April 29, when the Reds were 19-10. Since then, they’ve gone 48-63, a stretch that has left them 15 games under .500.
Even with the rough road behind them, Wednesday offered a reminder of what Williamson can bring to this rotation.
After an off-day Thursday, the Reds turn to a three-game series with the Brewers this weekend at Great American Ball Park, their final home series against Milwaukee this season.
Friday’s opener begins at 6:10 E.T., 30 minutes earlier than usual, with Ludacris scheduled for a postgame concert at the ballpark. Saturday’s game is set for 6:40 E.T., and Sunday’s finale will start at 12:10 E.T.
Rhett Lowder (6-8, 5.14 ERA), Andrew Abbott (6-10, 4.49 ERA), and Brady Singer (5-13, 4.83 ERA) are lined up to start for Cincinnati. Milwaukee has not announced its starters yet, and the Brewers entered Wednesday at 86-53 while leading the National League Central.
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Reds Give Carlos Jorge A Shot At A Role They Need Right Now
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Jorge brings a different look to the group. A converted infielder with a reputation for defense and speed, he has played 88 minor-league games this season and sits just outside the Reds top-15 prospects. For a team that can use versatility and range right now, the move gives Jorge a real chance to show whether he can help fill a need that has become increasingly important. [Read more 🡒]
Matt McLain Just Became A Bigger Reds Concern Than Fans Expected
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Reds Got A Big Surez Moment In A Loss That Changed Nothing
Eugenio Surezs return to the Reds lineup carried a little extra weight on a night already packed with meaning for him, after he passed his U.S. naturalization exams and got back on the field against the Brewers. Cincinnati needed a lift, and Surez delivered one with a go-ahead three-run homer that briefly put the game in the Reds hands while also moving him into a tie with Ken Griffey Jr. for ninth on the clubs all-time home run list.
The momentum did not last, though, because Rhett Lowder had a rough start and the bullpen could not protect the lead in a 10-7 loss that left the standings unchanged but still stung. Even in defeat, Surezs night stood out as the kind of reminder that individual moments can matter in a season, especially when they come from a player whose place in Reds history keeps getting harder to ignore. [Read more 🡒]