Game Recap 9/26/23 | Guardians Lose to the Reds 11-7

Post-Game Recap

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3 Things Around The Game

1 – Five Home Runs

The Guardians pitching staff gave up five home runs to the Reds, which was the difference in the game.    Cleveland had three homers for six runs from Bo Naylor, Kole Calhoun, and Andres Gimenez. 

2 – Reds Bullpen 

Reds starter Hunter Greene got roughed up for seven runs, but the Reds bullpen shut down the Cleveland offense by giving up only one hit and a walk in six innings. 

3 – Arias Gimenez Injury 

Gabriel Arias left the game early with right wrist soreness, and Andres Gimenez left the game in the 7th inning after fouling a ball off his leg.

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Game Summary

In a game marked by rookie standout Elly De La Cruz’s first-ever two-homer performance and four RBIs, Luke Maile contributed with three RBIs of his own, propelling the Cincinnati Reds to an 11-7 victory over the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday night and bolstering their slim playoff aspirations.

De La Cruz initiated his remarkable performance with a solo home run in the fourth inning off Lucas Giolito. Later, in the eighth inning, he unleashed a colossal 467-foot blast to the right field off Xzavion Curry. Joining De La Cruz in the rookie home run parade were Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Maile, and TJ Friedl.

This victory brought the Reds within just two games of the coveted second and third National League wild-card positions, currently occupied by Arizona and the Cubs. Cincinnati’s playoff hopes remain alive with only four games left in the season.

Bo Naylor contributed significantly for the Guardians, launching a three-run homer, while Kole Calhoun added a two-run shot during the second-to-last home game under the management of Terry Francona, who had earlier announced his impending retirement.

Pitcher Sam Moll (2-3) secured the win for the Reds, delivering two scoreless innings of relief. He combined efforts with Fernando Cruz and Lucas Sims to retire an impressive 14 consecutive batters.

The Reds managed to seize an 8-7 lead in the fifth inning thanks to Maile’s two-run double off James Karinchak (2-5), which brought Joey Votto and De La Cruz across the plate. In the sixth inning, Friedl continued Cincinnati’s power display with yet another homer, this time a liner to right off Nick Sandlin.

Guardians’ starter Lucas Giolito faced a challenging outing, surrendering five runs over 3 1/3 innings, including three home runs, pushing his season total to a league-leading 40. Giolito, who was claimed off waivers from the Angels, has struggled lately with a 1-3 record and a 6.93 ERA in his last five outings.

On the other side, Cincinnati’s right-hander Hunter Greene had one of his shortest starts of the season, conceding seven runs in just three innings, with six of those runs resulting from homers.

The Guardians initially took a 3-0 lead in the second inning thanks to Naylor’s three-run homer to right field. However, the Reds quickly answered with four runs in the third inning, courtesy of home runs by Maile and Encarnacion-Strand, as well as an RBI triple by Spencer Steer.

In the bottom half of the third, the Guardians briefly regained the lead, 6-4, with back-to-back homers from Calhoun and Andrés Giménez. Unfortunately, Giménez had to exit the game in the seventh inning after fouling a pitch off his right knee.

Trainers Room

Bo Naylor (right thumb bruise) was in the lineup for the first time since Friday against Baltimore. Francona held the rookie out of the final two games of the Orioles series in order to give him a three-day break between appearances.

Up Next

Wednesday 9/27 6:10 PM EST – Series Finale vs. Reds