Reds 14 Rangers 3
Just call it the Matt and Elly Show. Matt McLain and Elly De La Cruz combined to go: 6 for 8, 3 HR, 8 R, 10 RBI, 2B, BB, SB.
Brady Singer took care of the rest, becoming the first pitcher to go 7 or more shutout innings in a Reds debut since Tom Seaver.
McLain: 2 H, HR (3rd straight game), BB, 2 R, 3 RBI.
De La Cruz: 4 H, 2 HR, 1B, 2B, 4 R, career high 7 RBI, SB. Per Codify Baseball: He's the 9th player since 1988 to have 2 homers, 4 hits, 7 RBI, and a stolen base in a game. He used the new Torpedo Bat for the first time. It's his third career game with 3+ extra-base hits and at least 1 SB. That’s the most such games by any player before turning 24 since 1900. It breaks a tie at 2 with Hall of Famers Joe Morgan and Orlando Cepeda (Courtesy Sarah Langs/X).
Singer: 7 IN, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K, 92 pitches/57 strikes.
Five pitch 5th put him at 61 pitches. Five of his last six outs were K.
TJ Friedl: 2 H, R, SB.
Gavin Lux: 2B, RBI, BB.
How they scored:
1st: McLain 2-run HR, 1-0 Reds…..Lux RBI 2B, 3-0 Reds
2nd: Elly 3-run HR, 6-0 Reds
6th: McLain RBI 1B, 7-0 Reds…..Elly 2-RBI 2B, 9-0 Reds…Steer 2-RBI 1B…..Fraley RBI 1B, 12-0 Reds
7th: Elly 2-run HR
Bullpen:
8th: Sam Moll, R, 2 BB, 2 WP
9th: Brent Suter, 2-R HR
Bottomed-out: The bottom three batters in the order (Steer-Fraley-Trevino) entered 0 for 19 combined. Trevino singled twice. Steer 2-run 1B. Fraley RBI 1B.
2 SB: Elly and Friedl. The Reds entered 1 of 2 teams in MLB (A’s) without a steal attempt this season.
CES: Was hit by a pitch on his surgically repaired right wrist. He left after the completion of the half inning. Per Terry Francona, X-rays were negative on.
It was Rangers pitcher Michael Lorenzen that hit him last season.
The Rangers put position player Ezequiel Duran on the mound in the 9th. He retired the side in order.
This series features the two winningest active managers:
Bruce Bochy: 2,174 wins (8th all-time), Terry Francona: 1,951 (13th all-time)