The Cincinnati Reds were the host to the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday afternoon in Goodyear, Arizona. The home club didn’t lead the game at any point until the 9th inning. But that’s the only point where it really matters, isn’t it? Cincinnati scored two runs in the final inning to pick up a walk -off win that also happened to give them their first win of spring training.
The Highlights
After working a 1-2-3 1st inning, Andrew Abbott came back out for the 2nd and things didn’t go as well for him. He would retire the first two hitters but then gave up a single and a 2-run home run to Josh Rojas as the Royals grabbed the lead. Cincinnati got one of those runs back in the bottom of the frame after Tyler Stephenson walked and came around to score on a groundout.
Brandon Williamson returned to the mound in a game for the first time since September of 2024. The lefty struck out the side in the 3rd inning. The next inning he would give up a 460-foot solo home run to Jac Caglianone and then two more hits to bring in a second run as the Royals made it 4-1.
The Reds would get some of that back in the bottom of the 5th inning when Elly De La Cruz and Eugenio Suarez went back-to-back to begin the inning and cut the lead to 4-3. It was the first home run of the spring for both players.
With Cincinnati down 4-3 heading to the bottom of the 9th the Reds put together three straight singles to begin the inning. Sal Stewart led things off and then took third base on a single by Leo Balcazar. Edwin Arroyo then cashed in the game-tying run with a single into left. Michael Toglia then came through with the walk-off single that plated Balcazar with one out as Cincinnati grabbed their first win of the spring.
You can see the box score for this game here.
News and Notes
Eugenio Suarez was the only Red with more than one hit, but TJ Friedl, Matt McLain, and Noelvi Marte all had a hit and a walk. Dane Myers went 0-1 but walked twice.
In relief the Reds got shutout innings with a strikeout from Pierce Johnson, Sam Moll, Yunior Marte, Sam Benschoter, and Trevor Kuncl.
The Reds bench was 2-24 through the first two games of the spring. They were 1-7 entering the 9th inning during Tuesday’s game. But then they went 4-5 in the 9th inning to walk it off.
Tomorrow the Reds play their first true road game of the spring (they opened at Cleveland, but they share Goodyear Ballpark) when they take on the Chicago White Sox. Nick Lodolo, Brock Burke, Lyon Richardson, Anthony Misiewicz, Darren McCaughan, Hagen Danner, and Zach Maxwell are scheduled to pitch in the game for Cincinnati.