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Reds’ Will Benson downs Padres with bases-loaded walk-off
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- Reds’ Will Benson downs Padres with bases-loaded walk-off
Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
The post Reds' Will Benson downs Padres with bases-loaded walk-off appeared first on ClutchPoints .
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 their third walk-off of the season .
Trailing 2-1 entering the final frame, the Reds mounted a rare comeback against Padres closer Robert Suarez , who led MLB with 23 saves entering the day. Suarez (2-4) suffered only his third blown save of the season.
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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.
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.
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 .
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.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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Up next, the Reds will face the Boston Red Sox on Monday, June 30th, 7:10 p.m ET.
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