In a thrilling showdown that lived up to every bit of the in-state rivalry hype, Matt McLain drove in three runs to lead the Cincinnati Reds to a nail-biting 7-6 victory over the Cleveland Guardians on Friday night. The win snapped a frustrating seven-game road losing streak for the Reds, who seemed to have the game firmly in hand before a wild bullpen collapse tested their resilience.
Cincinnati appeared poised for a comfortable victory when McLain crushed a two-run homer in the eighth inning, extending the lead to 6-1. But the Guardians roared back in the bottom half of the frame, exploiting shaky pitching from the Reds' relievers. Graham Ashcraft loaded the bases with walks, and Travis Bazzana's RBI single cut the deficit to 6-2. Brock Burke entered and managed a strikeout but then issued two bases-loaded walks, forcing in runs. José Ramírez's sacrifice fly made it a one-run game at 6-5, as Cleveland drew four four-pitch walks in the inning—a rare display of patience at the plate.
The Reds added a crucial insurance run in the ninth on JJ Bleday's fielder's choice, but the drama wasn't over. Tejay Antone surrendered a run in the bottom of the ninth before McLain made a spectacular diving stop in the outfield grass and fired to second base to retire Bazzana for the final out. The save was Antone's first since May 30, 2021—a remarkable achievement for a right-hander who has undergone three Tommy John surgeries.
Reds starter Andrew Abbott (3-2) extended his scoreless streak to 21 2/3 innings before Rhys Hoskins took him deep in the sixth. Abbott's dominance was a bright spot, as was Elly De La Cruz's RBI double off Guardians starter Tanner Bibee (0-6). Bibee has struggled for run support all season, with Cleveland scoring in just five of his first nine starts—a paltry average of 1.39 runs per start after he enjoyed a career-high 4.79 last year.
The series continues with Reds right-hander Chris Paddack (0-5, 7.63 ERA) taking the mound against Gavin Williams (5-3, 3.74 ERA), who is looking to bounce back after allowing a career-high 10 hits in his last outing. For fans of both teams, this Ohio rivalry is just heating up—and the drama on Friday night was a perfect advertisement for the passion of baseball in the Buckeye State.