CINCINNATI — It’s taken just two games for the Reds to give their fans a wild ride of what could be in 2026.
On Thursday, Andrew Abbott tossed six shutout innings. Boston finally broke through for a run in the seventh and two in the ninth and the Reds suffered a 3-0 shutout loss.
On Saturday, there were more twists and turns than a Kings Island joyride before Dane Myers singled home free runner TJ Friedl from second base with the winning run to lead the Reds to a wild 6-5 win over the Red Sox in 11 innings Saturday in Cincinnati. It was Cincinnati’s first walk-off win against the Red Sox since Game 3 of the 1975 World Series.
You’ve heard of that game, right? The game filled with a Red Sox rally in the ninth on a two-run Dwight Evans home run to tie the game, 5-5. And you remember the 10th, right? The Ed Armbrister bunt that was not ruled interference by home plate umpire Larry Barnett. The Reds would win the game on Joe Morgan’s fly ball over a drawn-in Fred Lynn in center. Well, home plate umpire CB Bucknor didn’t have one controversial call. He had about 10.
Bucknor, who had six of his calls overturned by the new ABS system. The Red Sox challenged three through the first two innings and lost twice, losing it for the rest of the game. The Reds won all five of their challenges through seven innings.
CB Bucknor, a member of a major-league umpiring crew since 1999, had eight calls challenged and a whopping six overturned — including this sequence.
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Then, with runners on first and second, Trevor Story was called out on a check-swing strike three by Bucknor with no appeal to the first base umpire. Story and Boston manager Alex Cora argued vehemently and Cora was ejected.
Just one out from defeat, Wilyer Abreu homered down the right field line off Cincinnati closer Emilio Pagan in the ninth to tie the game, 5-5. Pagan recorded the controversial final out of the eighth before allowing the game-tying homer with two outs in the ninth. The Red Sox fans erupted in pandemonium along the third-base line. It felt like Fenway West.
“It’s great. You can’t talk about the expectations we’ve talked about and believing how good we believe we are and be excited about those types of environments,” Pagan said.
The Reds needed an answer desperately. Enter Connor Phillips, their sixth and final reliever of the day. Phillips (1-0) struck out three and retired all five batters faced in the 10th and 11th for the win. Story lined into a double play to end the 11th. Justin Slaten (0-1) surrendered the game-winning hit to take Boston’s first loss.
“It’s team ball. We’re on Game 2 of 162,” Phillips said. “It sucks but it’s going to happen more. It’s everybody having each other’s backs and that’s what happened today.”
Sal Stewart homered and drove in two, De La Cruz belted his first homer of 2026 and Matt McLain had three hits to lead the Reds to their first win of the season, which was loaded with high drama and controversy. Stewart became the first Reds rookie to have five hits in the first two games of a season
Former Cincinnati right-hander Sonny Gray made his first start for Boston since being acquired in an offseason trade with St. Louis, allowing four runs – three earned – on six hits, striking out five and walking two in four innings. Cincinnati starter Brady Singer also lasted just four innings, giving up three runs on five hits, striking out five and walking two while throwing 74 pitches.
After being blanked on four hits in Thursday’s season opener, the Reds wasted no time breaking through against their former right-hander. Gray labored through a 35-pitch first inning, allowing a leadoff single to TJ Friedl and a walk to Matt McLain, Stewart drove home his first run of the day and the first run of the season for Cincinnati.
Eugenio Suarez then chopped a grounder back to Gray, who tried to tag out McLain coming home from third. He missed the tag and dropped the ball, allowing Cincinnati to take a 2-0 lead.
The Reds made it 3-0 on an unearned run in the second. Ke’Bryan Hayes reached on a wide throw from shortstop Trevor Story. With two outs, McLain doubled Hayes home. Story atoned with a solo homer to left in the third. Sal Stewart’s first homer of the season to center made it 4-1 Cincinnati.
Boston rallied with two outs and none on in the fourth, with Roman Anthony driving in Carlos Narvaez. Ceddanne Rafaela scored on a Singer wild pitch. Story struck out looking on a pitch that appeared to be well outside but because Anthony used a pair of ABS challenges in the second inning, the Red Sox could not challenge another pitch the rest of the game.
Both offenses knocked out the opposing starting pitchers after four innings by running up their pitch counts. Gray allowed four runs – three earned – on six hits, striking out five and walking one while tossing 80 pitches. Singer gave up three runs on five hits, striking out five and walking two while throwing 74 pitches.
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