The Cincinnati Reds finally kept the Milwaukee Brewers from turning the weekend into a sweep, and Emilio Pagan was right in the middle of it.
After getting handled in the first two games of the series, the Reds pulled out a 4-3 win in Sunday’s finale. Pagan locked down the last part of it, earning his 23rd save of the season and giving Cincinnati one of the few steady moments in a rough year.
After the game, Pagan talked with Jim Day about the kind of poise a closer needs. When Day asked whether the old “ice in the veins” trait is something a pitcher is born with or something he learns, Pagan pointed back to his upbringing.
"I credit my family," Pagan answered. "My parents instilled confidence in me from when I was a kid.
They always talked about that if I have a goal, then I can achieve it. It was never let's have a backup plan."
Pagan said he has always dreamed of reaching the big leagues, and even in a season full of frustration around him, he has remained one of the most dependable pieces on the Reds roster.
That matters more when you consider how much the season has been shaped by injuries. Pagan was hit by one of them himself in May, suffering a hamstring injury during an appearance against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. He missed nearly two months.
Since coming back in July, though, he has been exactly what the Reds needed from their closer. Seventeen of his 23 saves have come since his return from the injured list, and with the rotation and bullpen both dealing with their own problems, Terry Francona has to feel like he can lean on Pagan whenever the game is on the line.
The only knock is that a closer wants more chances than Pagan has gotten. Still, while 2026 is going to disappear quickly once the season ends, Pagan has given Cincinnati something worth remembering in the middle of a miserable stretch.
In Other News...
Terry Franconas Reds Future Suddenly Feels Bigger Than This Season
Terry Franconas arrival in Cincinnati already carried the feel of a longer-term fit, but the conversation around his future has picked up because the Reds are not treating him like a short-term fix. He has one guaranteed year left on his contract, plus a club option for 2028, and team president Nick Krall said the club will sit down with him about what comes next. Krall also made clear the Reds do not view Francona as a lame-duck manager, which says plenty about how the organization sees the partnership.
Francona, who recently picked up his 2,103rd managerial win, has brought the kind of steady credibility that can change the tone of a clubhouse and a front office at the same time. His relationship with the decision-makers is already a strong one, and his focus remains on managing, not on the contract chatter around him. Still, when a manager with his rsum is in place and the team is already talking about years beyond the current season, it becomes more than just a matter of getting through this year. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Fans Just Got A Clearer Picture Of Who Controls 2027
Nick Krall gave Reds fans a useful bit of organizational clarity while the team sorts through another rough stretch. The president of baseball operations said he expects himself, his front office staff and the manager to be back for the 2027 season, putting a stake in the ground about who is steering the ship as Cincinnati tries to climb out of its current mess. He also owned responsibility for the clubs poor performance, a notable admission for a team still trying to define its path forward.
The bigger issue remains the roster around that young core, which still looks thin enough to keep the Reds from feeling settled anywhere beyond a few promising pieces. There is some potential financial flexibility ahead, but even that comes with a cloud hanging over the offseason if a lockout ends up limiting what can actually get done. For a team trying to turn a corner, the next several months may say as much about patience and planning as they do about wins and losses. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Fans Have Every Reason To Doubt This Plan
Nick Krall said the Reds are planning to keep the current baseball-operations leadership together for next season after conversations with ownership, a signal that suggests continuity even after another disappointing finish. The president of baseball operations also put the onus on himself and his department, acknowledging the results have not met expectations while the front office faces familiar scrutiny over some of its signings and trades.
For Cincinnati, the challenge now is less about explaining the past than convincing a skeptical fan base that the same group can finally turn repeated playoff appearances into something more meaningful. The Reds have reached the postseason twice during Kralls tenure, but the lack of a breakthrough has only sharpened the pressure around a plan that appears set to stay in place, at least for now. [Read more 🡒]