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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-will-benson-downs-padres-bases-loaded-walk-off');   ga('set', 'title', 'Reds’ Will Benson downs Padres with bases-loaded walk-off');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Cincinnati-Reds-outfielder-Will-Benson-in-the-dugout.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Reds’ Will Benson downs Padres with bases-loaded walk-off</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-29T15:57:04-07:00">June 29th, 3:57pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-29T15:57:04-07:00">June 29th, 3:57pm</time><address><a>Abdullah Imran</a>Abdullah Imran works as an Associate Editor for All Sports at ClutchPoints. He’s been a sports fan his entire life and enjoys writing about every sport. He has spent three years in sports journalism and loves analyzing games. In his free time, he very much enjoys binge-watching shows and playing video games.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Reds</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cincinnati Reds clinched a dramatic 3-2 victory over the San Diego Padres on Sunday afternoon at Great American Ball Park, thanks to Will Benson’s walk-off single with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning. The win secured a 2-1 series victory for Cincinnati and was <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/reds-news-elly-de-la-cruz-walk-off-win-yankees">their third walk-off of the season</a>.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Will Benson walks it off for the <a href="https://twitter.com/Reds?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Reds</a>! 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/CRniPrC8rv">pic.twitter.com/CRniPrC8rv</a></p><p>— MLB (@MLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1939421589210349734?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Trailing 2-1 entering the final frame, the Reds <a href="https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1939421589210349734" rel="noopener">mounted a rare comeback</a> against Padres closer Robert Suarez, who led MLB with 23 saves entering the day. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/padres-news-robert-suarez-collapses-ninth-inning-vs-angels">Suarez (2-4) suffered only his third blown save</a> of the season.</p><p>Elly De La Cruz opened the bottom of the ninth with a 10-pitch at-bat that resulted in a ground ball mishandled by third baseman Tyler Wade, putting De La Cruz on first. Gavin Lux followed with a four-pitch walk, and Spencer Steer delivered a line-drive RBI single to center field that scored De La Cruz, tying the game. Jackson Merrill’s throw home was high, allowing the run to score. Jose Trevino then loaded the bases with a single to right, setting the stage for Benson.</p><p>Ahead in the count 2-1, Will Benson drove a 92 mph changeup into the right field corner, scoring Lux to complete the comeback. It was Benson’s third hit of the game, capping a standout performance. He also had a single in the sixth and a double in the eighth.</p><p>The Reds improved to 44-40 and have now won six of their last eight games. Since June 6, the Reds are 14-7 and have taken six of their last seven series, including wins over the Arizona Diamondbacks, Detroit Tigers, and New York Yankees.</p><p>Spencer Steer contributed two hits and a walk, extending his hitting streak to eight games. Over his last 11 games, Steer is hitting .442 (19-for-43) with an OPS of 1.281. Every Reds batter recorded one strikeout except Christian Encarnacion-Strand, who avoided striking out entirely.</p><p>The game was evenly contested from the start, with strong performances on the mound. Reds starter Nick Lodolo navigated early trouble, including escaping bases-loaded jams in the second and third innings, but surrendered a solo home run to Xander Bogaerts in the fourth. Bogaerts finished with a homer and two doubles.</p><p>In the sixth, Benson led off with a single, and Matt McLain added a two-out hit before De La Cruz tied the game 1-1 with an RBI single off Adrian Morejon. The Padres quickly responded in the seventh when Jose Iglesias drove in the go-ahead run with a fielder’s choice after a costly walk and Bogaerts’ third hit of the game.</p><p>Despite walking four batters and recording no strikeouts, the Reds’ bullpen limited the damage, allowing just one run and one hit over 3.2 innings. Emilio Pagan (1-2) earned the win with a scoreless ninth inning.</p><p>The Padres stranded 13 runners and went 0-for-13 with runners in scoring position. San Diego dropped to 45-38 and is now just 37-3 when leading after eight innings.</p><p>Up next, the Reds will face the Boston Red Sox on Monday, June 30th, 7:10 p.m ET.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Reds’ Will Benson downs Padres with bases-loaded walk-off

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/san-diego-padres/gavin-sheets-does-it-all-for-padres-vs-reds');   ga('set', 'title', 'Gavin Sheets does it all for Padres vs. Reds');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/San-Diego-Padres-left-fielder-Gavin-Sheets-celebrates.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Gavin Sheets does it all for Padres vs. Reds</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-28T17:22:29-07:00">June 28th, 5:22pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-28T17:22:29-07:00">June 28th, 5:22pm</time><address><a>Abdullah Imran</a>Abdullah Imran works as an Associate Editor for All Sports at ClutchPoints. He’s been a sports fan his entire life and enjoys writing about every sport. He has spent three years in sports journalism and loves analyzing games. In his free time, he very much enjoys binge-watching shows and playing video games.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Reds</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>A strong all-around effort <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/san-diego-padres/2-sneaky-trades-padres-must-make-boost-world-series-chances">powered the San Diego Padres</a> to a 6-4 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday afternoon at Great American Ball Park, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/san-diego-padres/3-san-diego-padres-must-make-all-star-team">with Gavin Sheets leading the charge</a>. Sheets went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a three-run homer, and a critical defensive highlight, helping San Diego even the series.</p><p>With the Padres trailing 4-1 in the fifth inning and the Reds threatening with a runner on third, Sheets <a href="https://x.com/MLB/status/1939081352714035653" rel="noopener">made a diving catch</a> in left field on a liner off the bat of Rece Hinds. The catch ended the inning and preserved the deficit, allowing San Diego’s bullpen and offense to stage a comeback.</p><p>Sheets’ signature moment came in the seventh inning. After Jackson Merrill led off with a double and Xander Bogaerts drew a one-out walk, Sheets stepped to the plate and blasted a 422-foot three-run home run to right field off Lyon Richardson. The homer gave the Padres their first lead of the game at 6-4. It was Sheets’ 13th home run of the season, tying him with his previous career-high from 2022 with the White Sox, achieved in 124 games. Sheets now has 49 RBIs in 79 games this season.</p><p>Signed to a one-year, $1.5 million deal before the 2025 season, Gavin Sheets has proven to be an outstanding value. His performance against the Reds was pivotal, especially with San Diego going just 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position, Sheets delivered the only hit in that category.</p><p>The Padres’ offense started slowly, stranding runners in scoring position in the second, third, and fourth innings. Luis Arraez finally put San Diego on the board in the fifth with a solo home run off Reds starter Andrew Abbott, only his fourth homer of the season. Jake Cronenworth followed with a two-run home run in the sixth off former Padres reliever Scott Barlow, cutting the deficit to 4-3.</p><p>San Diego starter Randy Vásquez struggled, allowing four earned runs on nine hits across 4.1 innings. The Reds scored three runs in the first two innings and added one more in the fifth. Cincinnati finished 3-for-9 with runners in scoring position.</p><p>The Padres’ bullpen took over from there, allowing only three baserunners across the final 4.2 innings. Bryan Hoeing (1-0) earned the win with 1.2 scoreless innings. Adrian Morejon and Jason Adam each threw a shutout inning, and Robert Suarez, returning from a two-game suspension, closed out the ninth for his MLB-leading 23rd save in 25 opportunities.</p><p>With the win, San Diego improved to 45-39, while Cincinnati dropped to 43-40. The series finale is scheduled for Sunday, with Stephen Kolek starting for the Padres against Reds lefty Nick Lodolo.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Gavin Sheets does it all for Padres vs. Reds

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-nick-martinez-standing-ovation-failed-no-hitter-bid');   ga('set', 'title', 'Reds’ Nick Martinez gets standing ovation after failed no-hitter bid');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Nick-Martinez-make-big-decision-on-Cincinnatis-qualifying-offer-1.jpg"><figcaption>David Banks-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Reds’ Nick Martinez gets standing ovation after failed no-hitter bid</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-27T21:11:53-07:00">June 27th, 9:11pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-27T21:11:53-07:00">June 27th, 9:11pm</time><address><a>Abdullah Imran</a>Abdullah Imran works as an Associate Editor for All Sports at ClutchPoints. He’s been a sports fan his entire life and enjoys writing about every sport. He has spent three years in sports journalism and loves analyzing games. In his free time, he very much enjoys binge-watching shows and playing video games.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Reds</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-nick-martinez-make-big-decision-qualifying-offer">Cincinnati Reds right-hander Nick Martinez</a> came within three outs of making history Friday night at Great American Ball Park. Facing his former team, the San Diego Padres, Martinez carried a no-hitter into the ninth inning before surrendering a double to Elias Díaz that ended the bid. Despite falling short of a no-hitter, Martinez <a href="https://x.com/MLB/status/1938777058852622532" rel="noopener">walked off to a standing ovation</a> from the crowd of 26,746 after delivering a career performance in the Reds’ 8-1 win.</p><p>Martinez threw 112 pitches over eight-plus innings, tying a career high. He allowed just one hit, two walks, and struck out six batters. The 34-year-old faced 30 batters, only three more than the minimum, with his only blemishes before the ninth being walks to Jackson Merrill in the first and Trenton Brooks to open the ninth. Díaz’s double to deep left-center ended his attempt at recording the 18th no-hitter in Reds history and the first since Wade Miley accomplished the feat in 2021.</p><p>The Reds called on reliever Taylor Rogers after the double, and one of the two inherited runners eventually scored, preventing Martinez from securing even a shutout. Rogers retired three of the next four batters to finish the game.</p><p>This was Martinez’s first start back in the rotation after being briefly moved to the bullpen following a disastrous outing against the Twins on June 19, where he allowed seven runs in 2 2/3 innings. Entering Friday’s contest, Martinez carried a 4.40 ERA across 15 starts and two relief appearances. His previous two relief appearances totaled three scoreless innings.</p><p>The near no-hitter capped a remarkable journey for Martinez, who had spent four seasons in Japan before returning to MLB in 2022. He pitched for the Padres in 2022 and 2023, primarily in relief, before joining the Reds in 2024.</p><p>While Martinez flirted with history on the mound, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-spencer-steer-blasts-3-hrs-vs-padres">Spencer Steer dominated at the plate</a>. The Reds’ first baseman went 3-for-4 with three home runs and four RBIs, becoming the first Reds player with a three-homer game since Jesse Winker in 2021. Steer hit home runs in the second (382 feet), fourth (403 feet), and fifth innings and narrowly missed a fourth in the eighth, striking out to end his bid. It was the 40th three-homer game in franchise history.</p><p>The Reds’ offense provided early and consistent support. Cincinnati took a 2-0 lead in the first via an Elly De La Cruz RBI groundout and a passed ball by Díaz. Austin Hays, returning from the injured list, contributed a double and scored in the fifth.</p><p>With the win, the Reds improved to 43-29, having won 13 of their last 19 games. They sit just 2.5 games back of the third National League wild-card spot. Despite the heartbreak of a lost no-hitter, Nick Martinez’s dominance and Steer’s power helped the Reds start their series against the Padres emphatically.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Reds’ Nick Martinez gets standing ovation after failed no-hitter bid

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-spencer-steer-blasts-3-hrs-vs-padres');   ga('set', 'title', 'Reds’ Spencer Steer blasts insane 3 HRs vs. Padres');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Cincinnati-Reds-first-baseman-Spencer-Steer.jpg"><figcaption>© Frank Bowen IV/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Reds’ Spencer Steer blasts insane 3 HRs vs. Padres</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-27T18:23:23-07:00">June 27th, 6:23pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-27T18:23:23-07:00">June 27th, 6:23pm</time><address><a>Zachary Howell</a>Zachary Howell is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints focusing on creating premier MLB content. He is a big fan of the Yankees, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Syracuse Orange. In his free time, he likes to be outside or read.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Reds</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cincinnati Reds were handed a blowout loss by the New York Yankees on Thursday. After <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-elly-de-la-cruz-walk-off-win-yankees">Cincinnati’s walk-off win earlier this week</a>, they left the series with a lot to prove after the loss on Thursday. On Friday, though, Terry Francona’s team returned the favor against the San Diego Padres. Reds first baseman Spencer Steer led the way, hitting three home runs, two against Dylan Cease.</p><p>The fourth-year pro tagged Cease in the second and fourth innings. His third homer of the game was off Yuki Matsui in the fifth, a <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1938763722127712695" rel="noopener">364ft. moon shot</a>.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">SPENCER STEER HITS HIS 3RD HR OF THE GAME 🤯😤<a href="https://t.co/0iSo9k9nD3">pic.twitter.com/0iSo9k9nD3</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1938763722127712695?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Steer’s three home-run game is the eighth of its kind this season. His performance puts him on a list featuring Aaron Judge, Jose Ramirez, and Kerry Carpenter. Steer does not have the same reputation as those All-Stars. However, he proved on Friday that he is a key piece of the Reds’ offense.</p><p>With <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-elly-de-la-cruz-makes-home-run-derby-decision">Cincinnati’s star, Elly De La Cruz, turning down the Home Run Derby</a>, Steer can submit Friday’s performance as his audition tap. His three home runs give him 11 on the season. The feat is more impressive considering who he did it against. Cease is one of the best pitchers in the National League, and Steer made quick work of him, twice.</p><p>Steer’s performance comes at a great time for the Reds. Francona’s team has been within arm’s reach of their rivals in the NL Central all season. With the St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers making their push to catch the Chicago Cubs, the Reds must keep pace.</p><p>Winning their division is the cleanest path to the postseason for Cincinnati. The Reds have not been to the playoffs since the shortened season in 2020. With <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-chase-burns-strikes-out-6-first-7-batters-mlb-debut">the emergence of Chase Burns, Francona</a> might have a team capable of making it to the postseason and surprising people like the Detroit Tigers did in 2024.</p><p>Steer’s dominance against the Padres is a great way to start the Reds’ regular season series against San Diego. His team hopes that they can keep the momentum going and ride it all the way to the top of their division.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Reds’ Spencer Steer blasts insane 3 HRs vs. Padres

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-elly-de-la-cruz-makes-home-run-derby-decision');   ga('set', 'title', 'Reds’ Elly De La Cruz makes Home Run Derby decision');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Elly-De-La-Cruz-makes-Home-Run-Derby-decision.jpg"><figcaption>Credit: Albert Cesare</figcaption></figure><h1>Reds’ Elly De La Cruz makes Home Run Derby decision</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-27T13:51:13-07:00">June 27th, 1:51pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-27T13:53:24-07:00">June 27th, 1:53pm</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/chris.spiering.3" rel="facebook">Chris Spiering</a>Chris Spiering graduated from the University of San Diego with a Communication Studies Degree. He spent his final year as the Sports Editor for the USDVista newspaper. Chris manages the betting team at ClutchPoints and contributes about the NFL, MLB, and NBA, but he follows most sports, including NCAA Basketball. Chris also covers San Diego State men's basketball for East Village Times.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Reds</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Cincinnati Reds <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-elly-de-la-cruz-walk-off-win-yankees">star Elly De La Cruz</a> is not just known for his power, he can do it all on the baseball diamond. His elite play has helped turn the Reds into a good team. At 42-39, the Reds are 2.5 games out of a Wild Card spot in the National League. They take on the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/san-diego-padres/1-trade-san-diego-padres-must-avoid-making-before-2025-deadline">San Diego Padres</a> this weekend, and a series win would go a long way toward inching closer to a playoff position.</p><p>Elly De La Cruz has smashed 18 home runs this season. He leads the Reds and is tied for 13th in the majors. That makes him a candidate to be in the Home Run Derby. However, on Friday, it was <a href="https://x.com/ctrent/status/1938688942230176172?s=46" rel="noopener">announced that he decided to decline the event</a>. Participating in the Home Run Derby has had a history of getting players to go on slumps in the second half of the season. It can be a tiring event. Atlanta Braves’ Ronald Acuna Jr. and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/seattle-mariners/mariners-news-cal-raleigh-makes-hr-derby-decision-monster-campaign">Seattle Mariners’ Cal Raleigh</a> are the only two who have accepted.</p><p>This does not come as a shock, as he will without a doubt be an All-Star. He likely will be the only Reds player in the Midsummer Classic. The shortstop <a href="https://x.com/CBoxSports/status/1938395929918509509">wasn’t voted as one of the final All-Stars</a>, so he would have to make it as a reserve. He competes against some of the league’s best, Francisco Lindor of the New York Mets, Mookie Betts of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Trea Turner of the Philadelphia Phillies.</p><p>On the season, De La Cruz is batting .277 with 55 RBIs, a .862 OPS, with a .511 slugging percentage. These are all on pace to be career highs. If he continues to hit at this rate, the Reds will be in contention to make the playoffs. We are at the halfway point of the season, and De La Cruz is on pace for roughly 40 homers, 100+ RBIs, and 40+ stolen bases. If he can work on reducing the strikeouts, then he can turn into one of the best all-around players in the league.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Reds’ Elly De La Cruz makes Home Run Derby decision

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-gavin-lux-100-real-dodgers-move');   ga('set', 'title', 'Gavin Lux gets 100% real on Dodgers-Reds move');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Gavin-Lux-3.jpg"></figure><h1>Gavin Lux gets 100% real on Dodgers-Reds move</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-26T13:22:55-07:00">June 26th, 1:22pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-26T13:33:09-07:00">June 26th, 1:33pm</time><address><a>Mike Gianakos</a>Mike Gianakos is the former editor-in-chief of High Times magazine, where he also spearheaded the video department and event production. He is a longtime podcaster and even longer suffering NY Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Reds</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After helping the Los Angeles Dodgers win the 2024 World Series, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-cincinnati-swing-surprise-gavin-lux-trade-dodgers">Gavin Lux was traded to the Cincinnati Reds</a> in a surprise offseason move by the defending champs. However, Lux has embraced the situation, using the change of scenery as an opportunity to improve.</p><p>Lux recently spoke to veteran starting pitcher and fellow former Dodger Ross Stripling about the <a href="https://x.com/FoulTerritoryTV/status/1937997985196982694" rel="noopener">positive aspects</a> of changing clubs. “Sometimes it’s refreshing getting around new people, new voices and just trying to hear what guys [think],” Lux said, per Foul Territory.</p><p>“Whenever you get a new voice or get around different people with different thoughts… it might be the same thing that you heard before but it’s said in a different way that makes more sense,” he added.</p><h2><b>Gavin Lux is embracing his move to the Reds</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Gavin-Lux-i.jpg"><figcaption>Katie Stratman-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Lux played the hero for Cincinnati in a wild win over the New York Yankees Tuesday. The Reds were down 3-0 in the seventh inning but fought back to tie the game and send it to extras. Lux pinch-hit for Rece Hinds in the 11th inning and delivered a walk-off single, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-elly-de-la-cruz-walk-off-win-yankees">driving in Elly De La Cruz for the winning run</a>.</p><p>Lux credits Reds hitting coach Chris Valaika with helping improve his swing. Valaika focused on adjusting Lux’s posture and setup in the batter’s box, which he says, “puts me in a better spot body-wise to get my swing off.”</p><p>The advice appears to be helping as Lux is slashing .270/.358/.391 with a 103 OPS+ in 72 games with the Reds. The slash line and OPS+ are above his career averages and an improvement over his numbers from last season with the Dodgers.</p><p>However, those numbers are propped up a bit by <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-gavin-lux-makes-honest-admission-amid-2025-success">Lux’s early season success</a>. At the end of April he was slashing .327/.416/.439 with 14 RBI and 13 runs scored in 29 games. But he’s cooled off after the hot start, posting a .694 OPS in May. And he’s struggling again in June, hitting .210 with a .645 OPS. Perhaps the pinch-hit walk-off against the Yankees will lead to a rebound.</p><p>While Lux has tailed off in June, the Reds have played well this month. The team is 13-7 since June 3. After starting the month nine games back in the NL Central, the Reds are now 5.5 games behind the first-place Chicago Cubs. Cincinnati has jumped from four to 2.5 games back in the Wild Card hunt in that span as well.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Gavin Lux gets 100% real on Dodgers-Reds move

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-terry-francona-hilarious-message-scout-evaluated-chase-burns');   ga('set', 'title', 'Terry Francona’s hilarious message to scout who evaluated Reds’ Chase Burns');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Chase-Burns-of-the-Cincinnati-Reds.jpg"><figcaption>Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Terry Francona’s hilarious message to scout who evaluated Reds’ Chase Burns</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-25T12:04:25-07:00">June 25th, 12:04pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-25T12:04:25-07:00">June 25th, 12:04pm</time><address><a>Benedetto Vitale</a>Benedetto Vitale is an avid sports writer who is an expert at covering the NFL, college football, NBA, and UFC. He graduated from the University of Oregon in 2016 with a film degree but has since dedicated his career to sports writing.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Reds</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Top pitching prospect <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-yankees/yankees-news-aaron-judge-reacts-chase-burns-debut">Chase Burns made his MLB debut</a> on Tuesday night in the Cincinnati Reds’ 5-4 win over the New York Yankees. Burns displayed major potential, and it sounds like manager Terry Francona is over the moon to have him on the team.</p><p>During the postgame press conference, Francona raved about the 22-year-old starting pitcher, according to Charlie Clifford of NBC 5 Cincinnati. The Reds’ manager was so elated with Chase Burns’ performance, he <a href="https://x.com/char_cliff/status/1937704631708324058" rel="noopener">sent a hilarious message</a> to the scout who evaluated the young prospect.</p><p>“I could kiss [the scout] right on the lips.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Terry Francona says he wants to give a kiss to the Reds scout who did the work on Chase Burns <a href="https://t.co/YAorUqshvB">pic.twitter.com/YAorUqshvB</a></p><p>— Charlie Clifford (@char_cliff) <a href="https://twitter.com/char_cliff/status/1937704631708324058?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 25, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Chase Burns looked solid throughout most of his debut. Through 5.0 innings pitched, the 2024 first-round pick totaled eight strikeouts while allowing six hits and three earned runs. That’s a great showing for a rookie, considering he was going up against Aaron Judge and the other big bats in the Yankees’ lineup.</p><p>The Reds’ pitcher was over the moon with his performance as well. After the game, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-chase-burns-favorite-strikeout-epic-debut-aaron-judge">Chase Burns admitted that his favorite strikeout</a> he recorded was against Judge. It’ll be interesting to see how Burns continues to develop, but he’s off to a nice start to begin his major league career.</p><p>Chase Burns’ next start is slated for the last day of June in the Reds’ matchup against the Boston Red Sox. It’ll be the first contest of a three-game series. With Burns in the rotation, Cincinnati will hope he can help keep the team in the mix of the NL Central.</p><p>The Reds are 4.5 games back from the first-placed Chicago Cubs and are ranked fourth in the division. Burns joins the majors after owning an impressive 1.77 ERA and .77 WHIP while recording 89 strikeouts through 66.0 innings pitched in the minor leagues this season. The potential is there, and Cincinnati may just have a future ace on its hands in the coming years.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Terry Francona’s hilarious message to scout who evaluated Reds’ Chase Burns

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-chase-burns-favorite-strikeout-epic-debut-aaron-judge');   ga('set', 'title', 'Reds’ Chase Burns on favorite strikeout from epic debut: ‘Gotta be Judge’');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Reds-Chase-Burns-pitches-in-MLB-debut.jpg"><figcaption>Katie Stratman-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Reds’ Chase Burns on favorite strikeout from epic debut: ‘Gotta be Judge’</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-24T22:54:35-07:00">June 24th, 10:54pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-25T12:40:48-07:00">June 25th, 12:40pm</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Reds</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Future Hall of Famer Terry Francona has a tough balancing act to perform in his first season as Cincinnati Reds manager. He is tasked with guiding this group to a winning season while also helping the younger players come of age. Both things happened on Tuesday, as the gritty ballclub pulled out a 5-4 extra-innings victory over the New York Yankees in <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-chase-burns-strikes-out-6-first-7-batters-mlb-debut">Chase Burns’ big-league debut</a>.</p><p>The right-handed starting pitcher, who is ranked No. 11 on MLB’s top-100 prospect list, emphatically introduced himself to the Cincy faithful in Great American Ball Park. He struck out the Yankees’ first three hitters, including Aaron Judge, to begin what scouts and fans expect to be a successful career in The Show. They all went down swinging, powerless against Burns’ devastating fastball-slider combination.</p><p>The No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft faced considerable trouble in the fourth inning, though, allowing a 427-foot home run to Ben Rice and a two-RBI triple to Anthony Volpe to put the Reds in a 3-0 hole. He trudged on and finished with eight strikeouts and no walks in five innings of work. A giddy Burns savored his inaugural outing after Cincinnati rallied and earned its third straight win. He did not hesitate when revealing <a href="https://x.com/char_cliff/status/1937702629783798000" rel="noopener">his favorite punch-out</a> of the evening.</p><p>“It’s gotta be Judge,” the 22-year-old told the media, per WLWT’s Charlie Clifford. When a newly-minted rookie overpowers one of the greatest hitters of his generation, he is going to remember it for a long, long time. Aaron Judge did record a single in his second at-bat, but Chase Burns displayed electric stuff in front of the home crowd.</p><h2><b>The future looks bright for Burns, Reds</b></h2><p>If this young righty can steadily improve his command as he logs more MLB innings, Francona could have another ace to call upon in the near future. Andrew Abbott has quietly been sensational this season (1.79 ERA in 13 starts) and Hunter Greene has remained excellent when healthy — currently on injured list with a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-terry-francona-brutally-honest-update-hunter-greene-injury">right groin strain</a> — but Burns could potentially boost the Reds’ pitching rotation to towering heights.</p><p>It was the lineup and bullpen that really came through on this night, however. A dominant Carlos Rodon left the game after six scoreless innings, apparently because of the stifling heat, and Cincy capitalized. Christian Encarnacion-Strand tied the game with a three-run double in the seventh inning, and offseason addition Gavin Lux hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th.</p><p>A see-saw kind of matchup, which included a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-elly-de-la-cruz-walk-off-win-yankees">perplexing lapse in concentration</a> by franchise cornerstone Elly De La Cruz, ended in euphoria. The Reds (42-38) are only two games out of the third and final National League Wild Card slot. Burns may lack experience, but if this fun squad is going to squeeze its way into the playoffs, he will probably have plenty to do with it.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Reds’ Chase Burns on favorite strikeout from epic debut: ‘Gotta be Judge’

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-elly-de-la-cruz-walk-off-win-yankees');   ga('set', 'title', 'Reds’ Elly De La Cruz goes from zero to hero after walk-off win vs. Yankees');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Elly-De-La-Cruz-44.jpg"><figcaption>© Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK</figcaption></figure><h1>Reds’ Elly De La Cruz goes from zero to hero after walk-off win vs. Yankees</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-24T20:57:32-07:00">June 24th, 8:57pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-24T20:57:32-07:00">June 24th, 8:57pm</time><address><a>Josh Davis</a>Josh Davis is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints with a focus on MLB. As the founder and creator of OutOfSightSports, Josh spearheads the development and expansion of an engaging social media platform, with a core focus on Twitter/X. A passionate sports writer, Josh is dedicated to delivering compelling content that connects fans and fuels vibrant sports conversations. His vision is to craft stories so vivid that fans feel like they’re standing at the plate or on the field.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Reds</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-chase-burns-strikes-out-6-first-7-batters-mlb-debut">Cincinnati Reds pulled off one of their most thrilling wins</a> of the season Tuesday night, walking off the New York Yankees 5-4 in extra innings. But the spotlight, and the rollercoaster of emotions, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-elly-de-la-cruz-declaration-after-yankees-win">belonged to Elly De La Cruz.</a></p><p>Spencer Steer ripped a base hit into left-center, scoring Matt McLain from third to tie the game at 4-4. De La Cruz, who had reached second, seemed to think the game was over and pulled up, a surprising move from one of the league’s fastest players. But just moments later, the shortstop redeemed himself by scoring the winning run on Gavin Lux’s walk-off single, turning a brief lapse into a hero moment.</p><p>Tulsa Drillers’ Dillard Barnhart shared a clip on X, formerly Twitter, <a href="https://twitter.com/BarnHasSpoken2/status/1937697663480397921" rel="noopener">calling out</a> the mistake.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Elly De La Cruz thought the game was over and should be at 3B <a href="https://t.co/4Z4fbabmQp">pic.twitter.com/4Z4fbabmQp</a></p><p>— Dillard Barnhart (@BarnHasSpoken2) <a href="https://twitter.com/BarnHasSpoken2/status/1937697663480397921?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 25, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“Elly De La Cruz thought the game was over and should be at 3B.”</p><p>At the time, it looked like a costly mental lapse — especially for a player known for elite speed and instinct. But moments later, Gavin Lux came up clutch. With the bases loaded and one out, the former Dodgers infielder delivered a line drive over the infield, sealing the walk-off win.</p><p>“Gavin Lux #WALKOFF single!”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Gavin Lux <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WALKOFF?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WALKOFF</a> single! <a href="https://t.co/kotmPOVSlf">pic.twitter.com/kotmPOVSlf</a></p><p>— MLB (@MLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1937699402011017660?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 25, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The Reds, who were 0-30 when trailing after six innings this season, <a href="https://x.com/MLB/status/1937699402011017660" rel="noopener">snapped that drought</a> behind late heroics from Christian Encarnacion-Strand, who tied the game in the seventh with a three-run double. Then came Lux’s moment in the 11th, giving Cincinnati its third straight win and keeping them firmly in the NL Central race.</p><p>Reds rookie Chase Burns, the No. 2 pick in last year’s MLB draft, also made his debut and didn’t disappoint. He became the first pitcher in expansion-era history to strike out the first five batters of his career, ending with 8 Ks over five solid innings.</p><p>Burns’ electric debut provided a crucial boost for a pitching staff in flux. His poise on the mound helped steady the game early, setting the tone for the comeback. For a team fighting to stay in the NL Central race, his performance offered both immediate impact and long-term promise.</p><p>Despite an early 3-0 lead by the Yankees, powered by Ben Rice and Anthony Volpe, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-tj-friedl-steals-game-brewers-insane-catch">Reds showed serious resilience.</a> The victory keeps Cincinnati just 4.5 games behind the division-leading Chicago Cubs, with another shot at a sweep on Wednesday.ml</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Reds’ Elly De La Cruz goes from zero to hero after walk-off win vs. Yankees

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-chase-burns-strikes-out-6-first-7-batters-mlb-debut');   ga('set', 'title', 'Reds starter Chase Burns strikes out 6 of first 7 batters in MLB debut');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Former-Wake-Forest-pitcher-Chase-Burns.jpg"><figcaption>Scott Kinser-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Reds starter Chase Burns strikes out 6 of first 7 batters in MLB debut</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-24T17:29:28-07:00">June 24th, 5:29pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-25T12:40:57-07:00">June 25th, 12:40pm</time><address><a>Russell Steinberg</a>Russell Steinberg covers Major League Baseball and the New York Liberty for ClutchPoints. A baseball and basketball lifer, he has written for Boardroom, SLAM, SB Nation, The Next, and more. He graduated from NYU in 2012 and still returns to serve as PA announcer and occasional broadcaster for the school’s basketball and volleyball teams.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Reds</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>If Cincinnati <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-cincinnati-promotes-top-prospect-before-yankees-series">Reds rookie Chase Burns</a> had any butterflies on the mound in his Major League debut, they didn’t show.</p><p>The Reds’ starter on Tuesday struck out six of the first seven New York Yankees he faced in an electric start to his MLB career. He also struck out the first five batters he faced, making him the second player <a href="https://twitter.com/SlangsOnSports/status/1937661209613861172" rel="noopener">in the expansion era</a> (1961) to do so, per MLB.com’s Sarah Langs. Coincidentally, the first, John Parrish, also did it against the Yankees in 2000.</p><p>And yes, Burns’ <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1937656517857329232" rel="noopener">strikeout barrage</a> included AL home run king and MVP frontrunner Aaron Judge.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">CHASE BURNS HAS ARRIVED 😤</p><p>The Reds’ top prospect has SIX strikeouts in the first 2 innings of his MLB debut!<a href="https://t.co/lvBhuHUpp8">pic.twitter.com/lvBhuHUpp8</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1937656517857329232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Burns needed only 14 pitches to get through that first inning and he started Judge off with a 99 mph fastball and finished him on a slider that elicited a swing and miss. He became the second Reds pitcher in the Live Ball Era (since 1920) to strike out the side in the first inning of his MLB debut.</p><p>It wasn’t all glory in Burns’ first game, however. After three scoreless innings to start, he gave up three runs in the fourth inning, including a solo home run from Ben Rice and a bases-clearing triple from Anthony Volpe.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-cincinnatis-chase-burns-pick-no-2-has-fans-disbelief">Burns was the No. 2 overall pick</a> in the 2024 MLB Draft out of Wake Forest. The top prospect in the Reds’ system per MLB.com, he can <a href="https://www.mlb.com/milb/prospects/reds/chase-burns-695505" rel="noopener">touch triple digits</a> on his fastball and pairs it with an elite slider. Burns charged up the Minor League ladder quickly, <a href="https://www.mlb.com/reds/news/chase-burns-mlb-debut-against-yankees" rel="noopener">starting the season in High-A</a> and throwing just two games in Triple-A before his call-up.</p><p>“I talked about it a lot, of wanting to move up quick and make an impact. But when it actually happens and you’re actually here, it’s surreal,” Burns said before the game, via MLB.com. “Just the other day, I felt like I was in [High-A] Dayton making my first professional start. Now I’m here. I’m excited.”</p><p>In 13 Minor League games across three levels, he had a 1.77 ERA with 89 strikeouts in 66 innings and a 0.773 WHIP.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Reds starter Chase Burns strikes out 6 of first 7 batters in MLB debut

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-elly-de-la-cruz-declaration-after-yankees-win');   ga('set', 'title', 'Reds make Elly De La Cruz declaration after crushing Yankees');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Elly-De-La-Cruz-1.jpg"><figcaption>© Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.</figcaption></figure><h1>Reds make Elly De La Cruz declaration after crushing Yankees</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-23T20:22:52-07:00">June 23rd, 8:22pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-23T20:22:52-07:00">June 23rd, 8:22pm</time><address><a>Josh Davis</a>Josh Davis is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints with a focus on MLB. As the founder and creator of OutOfSightSports, Josh spearheads the development and expansion of an engaging social media platform, with a core focus on Twitter/X. A passionate sports writer, Josh is dedicated to delivering compelling content that connects fans and fuels vibrant sports conversations. His vision is to craft stories so vivid that fans feel like they’re standing at the plate or on the field.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Reds</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cincinnati Reds officially declared June 23 “Elly De La Cruz Day” after the rising star powered a 6-1 victory over the New York Yankees. With De La Cruz leading the charge, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-elly-de-la-cruz-dabs-2-run-hr-cubs">Reds fans were reminded just how electrifying</a> their franchise cornerstone can be, especially under the lights in a high-stakes series opener against the AL East leaders.</p><p>De La Cruz finished the night 3-for-4 with a triple, home run, RBI single, and two runs scored. He was a double shy of hitting for the cycle, on the exact anniversary of the first cycle of his MLB career in 2023. He tallied three RBIs and eight total bases, continuing a red-hot month where De La Cruz holds a .309 batting average, six home runs, and 12 RBIs.</p><p>The Reds’ official X (formerly known as Twitter) account <a href="https://x.com/Reds/status/1937335082764640594" rel="noopener">marked the occasion</a> with a bold proclamation.</p><p>“We hereby declare June 23rd as Elly De La Cruz Day.”</p><p>Major League Baseball also chimed in on the platform, <a href="https://x.com/MLB/status/1937325430492496286" rel="noopener">pointing out</a> the historical coincidence.</p><p>“On this exact date two years ago, De La Cruz hit for the cycle. Tonight, he was a double shy of doing it again.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Two years ago today Elly De La Cruz hit for the cycle</p><p>He is now just a double away from doing it again tonight 👀 <a href="https://t.co/Hl2T7cgZds">pic.twitter.com/Hl2T7cgZds</a></p><p>— MLB (@MLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1937325430492496286?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Although beating a team like the Yankees is always special, this one felt different. Aaron Judge gave New York an early 1-0 lead with a solo home run in the first inning, but De La Cruz flipped the momentum in the fourth with an RBI triple. He followed that with an RBI single in the fifth and capped off his night with his 18th home run of the season in the eighth.</p><p>The Reds improved to 41-38 on the season, now winners of 11 of their last 16. Their pitching, led by Nick Lodolo and reliever Scott Barlow, held Yankees hitters 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position. The result delivered just the second time in 14 games that the Yankees had surrendered more than three earned runs.</p><p>The shortstop’s performance has intensified calls for a long-term extension, as he continues to solidify his status as the face of the franchise. Involved in four of Cincinnati’s six runs, he remains the driving force behind the team’s midseason surge.</p><p>From his impact on the field to his place in club history, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-elly-de-la-cruz-launches-clutch-hr-reds-fall-short-late">De La Cruz is turning heads</a>, and now has a day named after him to prove it. If he keeps this up, “Elly De La Cruz Day” might just become an annual celebration in Cincinnati.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Reds make Elly De La Cruz declaration after crushing Yankees

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-jake-fraley-steals-paul-goldschmidt-home-run-yankees');   ga('set', 'title', 'Reds’ Jake Fraley steals Paul Goldschmidt home run vs. Yankees');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Jake-Fraley.jpg"></figure><h1>Reds’ Jake Fraley steals Paul Goldschmidt home run vs. Yankees</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-23T18:39:44-07:00">June 23rd, 6:39pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-23T18:51:57-07:00">June 23rd, 6:51pm</time><address><a>Mike Gianakos</a>Mike Gianakos is the former editor-in-chief of High Times magazine, where he also spearheaded the video department and event production. He is a longtime podcaster and even longer suffering NY Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Reds</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>When it comes to spectacular Cincinnati Reds highlights, shortstop sensation <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-elly-de-la-cruz-dabs-2-run-hr-cubs">Elly De La Cruz is usually the subject</a>. But in Monday’s matchup against the New York Yankees, right fielder Jake Fraley stole the show.</p><p>Fraley <a href="https://x.com/MLB/status/1937308075557290162" rel="noopener">tracked down</a> a Paul Goldschmidt shot deep to right and made a leaping grab at the wall for a spectacular catch, per MLB.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Air Jake!</p><p>Jake Fraley goes airborne at the fence to make the spectacular catch 😳 <a href="https://t.co/7dDTfl47b1">pic.twitter.com/7dDTfl47b1</a></p><p>— MLB (@MLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1937308075557290162?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Goldschmidt was facing Reds starter Nick Lodolo in the top of the fifth with one on and no outs as the Yankees trailed 3-1. Goldschmidt squared up an 86 mph changeup from Lodolo driving the ball the opposite way to right field.</p><p>It appeared the veteran first baseman had tied the score 3-3 with a two-run blast. But Fraley immediately had a bead on the ball. He chased it to the track, leapt and came down with the catch while crashing into the wall.</p><h2><b>Jake Fraley preserves the Reds’ lead with clutch catch</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Jake-Fraley-2.jpg"><figcaption>Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>It’s unclear if the ball would have left the yard had Fraley not made the great grab. But at the very least it would have been extra bases for Goldschmidt. And given the velocity of the drive, it could have caromed off the top of the fence, allowing Jasson Dominguez to score from first. However, Yankees fans will never know because the Reds right fielder made a fearless, clutch grab to rob New York.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-yankees/incredible-paul-goldschmidt-stat-will-have-yankees-fans-thrilled">Goldschmidt got off to a scorching-hot start</a> this year. Through the end of May, the 15th-year veteran was batting .338 with an .889 OPS. But since the calendar flipped to June, Goldschmidt has gone cold. He’s slashing .169/.239/.292 in 19 games this month.</p><p>He nearly busted out of his slump with an opposite field blast but Fraley was their to keep Goldschmidt cold and preserve the Reds’ lead.</p><p>Cincinnati looked to be on the way to turning the season around, winning nine of 11 games earlier this month. But the Reds have lost three of the last four heading into their series opener with the Yankees. The team is 40-38 entering play on Monday and 6.5 games behind the first-place Chicago Cubs in the NL Central.</p><p>Despite being in fourth-place in the division, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/mlb-stories/mlb-rumors-1-team-that-could-shock-league-before-trade-deadline">Reds could surprise the league at the trade deadline</a>. The team is rumored to be considering making some aggressive moves in an effort to go all-in on the 2025 season. Cincinnati is currently three games back in the NL Wild Card hunt.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Reds’ Jake Fraley steals Paul Goldschmidt home run vs. Yankees

2025 SEASON STATS
IP	ERA	K	WHIP	HOLDS	SAVES
21	1.286	6	1.1429	3	1

2025 SEASON STATS
IP	ERA	K	WHIP	HOLDS	SAVES
21	1.286	6	1.1429	3	1

Joe
La Sorsa

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Joe La Sorsa

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Joe
La Sorsa