The Cincinnati Reds were due for a fortuitous break to fall in their favor, and probably overdue given the nature of the eight-game losing streak they were on.
For the first time in more than a week, they got that break and defeated the Houston Astros, 3-1 Saturday, May 9 to snap the streak.
Pierce Johnson filled in for closer Emilio Pagan and pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his first save as a Red.
“It’s been a tough week, but they’re working and they’re competing, and it’s not always been as good as we want,” Reds manager Terry Francona said, “but they’re not quitting, so we’re not gonna quit on them.”
When the break finally arrived there was no mistaking that the moment in question could mean something significant to the struggling, suddenly-last-place Reds.
Trailing the Astros 1-0 in the fifth inning and facing the real possibility of a ninth straight loss, Astros right fielder Cam Smith simply dropped a fly ball off catcher Jose Trevino’s bat. With only long shadows from the stadium’s light towers and the west grandstand possibly adding to the degree of difficulty, there was nothing exceptional about what was required of Smith: The ball was about 85 mph off Trevino’s bat and traveled 293 feet.
It was a lazy fly ball, and more than likely a no-doubt second out of the inning. Until it wasn’t, and the doorway to Cincinnati’s first win since April 30 cracked open even as Houston starter Spencer Arrighetti had dominated up to that point.
Matt McLain kicked the door down, punishing the Astros for their error. He punched two-run single into left field to put the Reds up, 2-1. Later in the inning and with the bases loaded again, Elly De La Cruz singled home another run for a 3-1 advantage.
“It was a good team win all around,” McLain said. “Baseball is a game of breaks. You’ve got to capitalize on opportunities, and we did today.”
After the game, which started at 4:11 p.m., Francona noted both teams had difficulty tracking the ball in the latter stages of the contest. Part of the field saw shadows creep eastward from foul territory along the first base line. The sunbathed east side of the park lived up to its reputation for being a tricky place for left fielders in the face of the setting sun.
On the mound, Chase Burns was in the midst of another strong outing. He spent 87 pitches over six innings, allowing four hits and a lone run. The only blight on Burns’ outing was a solo homer in the top of the fifth inning by Braden Shewmake.
In the sixth inning, Burns put the finishing touches on his outing by stranding Yordan Alvarez after a leadoff double.
Burns (4-1) went at least six innings for the third consecutive game, and covered a total of 19 innings over his last three starts. He allowed only three runs over that stretch, and he lowered his ERA from 2.20 at game’s outset to 2.11 by the time he was lifted after the sixth inning.
“Tough stretch right now but like I said, I’m just going out there and doing my job,” Burns said. “I gave up that homer but the team picked me up and then go out there and threw a shutdown inning (in the sixth).”
Burns said he executed a contact-oriented game plan that he devised with Trevino. Burns’ two strikeouts matched a season low (April 10 versus Angels) but the outing was also his fifth allowing no more than one run. The start also followed Burns’ career-long seven-plus innings of shutout baseball against the Pirates on May 3.
Arrighetti was charged with just one earned run in his 5 2/3 innings of work. He didn’t allow Cincinnati’s first hit until De La Cruz singled in the fourth inning.
The Reds didn’t record an extra-base hit in the contest. It wasn’t glamorous but it was enough to avoid falling to .500 as the club improved to 21-19.
After Burns, Brock Burke and Graham Ashcraft posted scoreless, hitless frames in the seventh and eighth innings.
Requiring a save for the first time since the club lost closer Pagán to the injured list on May 5 with a hamstring strain that expected to sideline him for at least a month, Cincinnati turned to Johnson.
Acquired in the offseason via the free-agent market, Johnson was already putting together a formidable season. The save he recorded was his first since May 13, 2025.
Francona said he didn’t necessarily have Johnson assigned to a possible save situation, adding, “I don’t think you can just map a game out.”
“Burns goes back out for the seventh, maybe Ashcraft can finish the game,” Francona said. “Once we determined (Burns) wouldn’t, the thought was to use Burke and then go to Ashcraft, and if he has a quick inning, maybe we can send him out for two. He didn’t, so went to Plan ‘B.'”
Pitching matchup for the Reds-Astros series finale
The Reds will send out Opening Day starter Andrew Abbott (1-2, 5.12 ERA) for the May 10 series finale against Houston. Abbott has pitched effectively in back-to-back starts. He went six innings and allowed two runs April 30 against the Colorado Rockies prior to tossing 5 2/3 scoreless innings May 5 against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.
The Astros appear to have a bullpen day on their hands as they announced May 9 their starter for the series finale would be Kai-Wei Teng (1-2, 2.35 ERA). Teng started the season as a reliever and was arguably their most effective one. He had also been talked about as a possible starter for Houston, and made his first start of the season April 28 against the Baltimore Orioles.
Teng posted outings of more than one inning in 10 of his 13 appearances. He came out of the bullpen in two games since his start against Baltimore, which was his season-long outing of three innings. His last appearance was May 4 against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Reds take advantage of an Astros miscue to end losing streak
Reporting by Pat Brennan, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
