In a span of 10 pitches Saturday, the Cincinnati Reds ensured they wouldn’t be swept for the first time this season by the most surprising opponent possible — and inched manager Terry Francona to the edge of yet another milestone.
Francona will pursue the 2,000th win of his managerial career in the final contest before the All-Star break Sunday afternoon, when the Reds host the Colorado Rockies in the rubber game of a three-game series.
Right-hander Nick Martinez (6-9, 4.85 ERA) is slated to start for the Reds against Rockies left-hander Austin Gomber (0-2, 5.92).
The Reds mounted a ninth-inning comeback Saturday when Will Benson tied the game with an RBI triple then scored the winning run on an error two batters later to give Cincinnati a 4-3 victory.
The win ensured the Reds (49-47) would reach the All-Star break with a winning record while remaining the only team in the majors to not be swept in a series this season. Cincinnati’s 31 straight series without being swept is one shy of the team record to start a season, set by the 1970 team.
“We fight hard to get where we are and we need to go the other way, not backward,” Francona said.
The victory also gave the Reds a chance to get Francona his 2,000th win at home. Cincinnati is scheduled to begin the second half with six road games against the New York Mets and Washington Nationals.
Francona is 1,999-1,719 in regular-season action and has won two World Series with the Boston Red Sox while also directing Cleveland to the 2016 American League pennant. Every manager with at least 2,000 wins is enshrined in the Hall of Fame except current Texas Rangers skipper Bruce Bochy and Dusty Baker, who stepped away from managing Houston after the 2023 season.
The Reds’ rally cost the Rockies a chance to win back-to-back games for the first time since a season-long four-game winning streak from June 15-18, as well as an opportunity to lock up just their third series win. Colorado is 22-73 and on pace to break the record for most losses in the modern era set last season by the Chicago White Sox (121).
The Rockies were 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position Saturday as they fell to 6-54 when scoring three runs or fewer. Victor Vodnik, trying to earn his second save in as many days, didn’t retire any of the four batters he faced before Benson scored when second baseman Orlando Arcia bobbled Noelvi Marte’s grounder.
“You are going to lose against good teams like that when you don’t get the job done and you let them hang around all game long,” interim Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer said.
Martinez took the loss in his most recent start last Tuesday when he allowed 10 runs over five innings and the Reds fell to the Miami Marlins 12-2. Gomber suffered the defeat last Monday after surrendering five runs (four earned) over 4 2/3 innings in a 9-3 loss to the Boston Red Sox.
Martinez is 1-2 with a 4.78 ERA in 15 career games (five starts) against the Rockies. Gomber is 1-2 with a 5.17 ERA in nine games (five starts) against the Reds.
–Field Level Media
