CINCINNATI — Nick Senzel hit a game-ending, two-run homer within the ninth inning, stopping Cincinnati’s longest homerless draught in 32 years and giving the Reds a 5-3 win over the Texas Rangers on Wednesday and their first sequence sweep since final July.
Brad Mills’ sacrifice fly off Lucas Sims (1-0) tied the rating within the ninth. Kevin Newman singled main off the underside half in opposition to Jonathan Hernández (0-1) and took second on shortstop Josh Smith’s throwing error.
Senzel hit a full-count slider off the yellow padding alongside the highest of the left-field wall, ending the Reds’ streak of 79 innings with no residence run since Kevin Newman‘s second-inning drive in opposition to Tampa Bay on April 17. The eight video games with no lengthy ball had been probably the most for the Reds since 1991.
“We knew it was going to come,” Reds supervisor David Bell mentioned. “It was a matter of time. It couldn’t come at a better time. We’ve been scoring in other ways, which was great. We have the ability to hit homers, too. They will come without trying to do it. That was certainly not on Nick’s mind in that at bat. It just happened because that is what happens when you put a good swing on the ball.”
After crossing residence plate, Senzel was greeted by teammates who put a Viking helmet and cape on him. The Reds had not gotten a walkoff homer since Nick Castellanos beat Washington on Sept. 25, 2021.
“I was talking to David after the game,” Senzel mentioned. “I told him we were making it hard on ourselves trying to scratch hit after hit. It’s nice to hit one out every now and again.”
“It’s in our DNA and in everyone’s character to keep battling in games like this,” Senzel added. “Some things haven’t gone our way, but we’re going to keep fighting.”
Cincinnati (10-15) accomplished a three-game sweep of AL West-leading Texas (14-10), the primary sequence sweep for the Reds since final July 8-10 over Tampa Bay. The Reds by no means trailed within the sequence finale after overcoming a four-run deficit within the opener and a six-run margin on Tuesday.
“Mistakes here and there,” Texas beginning pitcher Jon Gray mentioned. “That’s not our game. We’ve got to get back to where we are. We’d have really good innings and then we tapered off. You have to stay on top of your game.”
Texas has misplaced three in a row for the primary time since a seven-game skid final September.
“There’s nothing to be concerned about,” supervisor Bruce Bochy mentioned. “I imply, we’ve obtained a variety of baseball left. These guys will bounce again. We have a tricky crew forward of us, so we must play our greatest ball however no, nobody is anxious, and we are going to proceed to get higher.
“It’s a bump in the road. That’s what it is, and like I’ve been saying, every club’s going to hit one.”
Reds starter Graham Ashcraft tied a season excessive with 4 walks, permitting two runs and 6 hits in three innings. He pitched out of a bases-loaded, no-outs jam, within the second, retiring Robbie Grossman on a popout, putting out Brad Miller and getting Josh Smith on a grounder to the best aspect. After beating Smith to the first-base bag, Ashcraft celebrated with an underhand fist pump.
Henry Ramos hit an RBI triple within the second and scored on Newman‘s grounder to third, beating Josh Jung’s throw residence. Nathanial Lowe hit a run-scoring double within the fifth and Adolis García tied the rating with a sacrifice fly. TJ Friedl’s sacrifice fly put the Reds forward 3-2 within the backside half.
HEAVY HEART
Ashcraft’s look was his first because the loss of life on Monday of his grandmother, 82-year-old Ann Ashcraft, a Fort Worth, Texas, resident and Rangers fan till her grandson joined the Reds.
LATE RUNS
Cincinnati‘s comeback Tuesday was its first from a deficit as massive as six runs since a 7-6 win over Arizona on July 19, 2012, in Cincinnati.
FOUR FIGURES
Gray’s strikeout of Spencer Steer to finish the fifth was Gray’s 1,000th.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rangers: C Mitch Garver (gentle left knee sprain) is beginning to hit. Manager Bruce Bochy estimated Garver may want one other 4 weeks … Jung left after two innings with a bruised left hand when he was hit by a pitch. X-rays had been unfavorable … OF Travis Jankowski left after three innings with left hip tightness.
Reds: 1B Joey Votto (left shoulder, biceps surgical procedure) will proceed to work out in Cincinnati reasonably than go to the crew’s Goodyear, Arizona, advanced, Bell mentioned.
UP NEXT
Rangers: LHP Andrew Heaney (2-1) is the scheduled starter on Thursday in opposition to the Yankees within the opener of a six-game homestand.
Reds: RHP Luis Cessa (0-3) is Cincinnati’s scheduled starter within the opener of a three-game sequence in opposition to the Athletics in Oakland.
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