Blake Dunn's Clutch Streak Puts Reds Outfielder in Rare Company
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Blake Dunn's Clutch Streak Puts Reds Outfielder in Rare Company
The Reds celebrate a win after Blake Dunn's single scores Spencer Steer from second base to end the 10th inning of the MLB Interleague game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Kansas City Royals at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Tuesday, June 2, 2026. The Reds won 4-3 on a walkoff hit by Blake Dunn, scoring Spencer Steer from second base in the 10th inning. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Tyler Reed·Cincinnati Reds On SI
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3 min read
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As theCincinnati Redsentered the bottom of the ninth in their contest withthe Kansas City Royalson Tuesday night, things looked bleak. After getting within one run after an eighth-inning blast fromSpencer Steer, the Reds needed just a little more magic to get across the finish line.
The baseball gods understood the assignment. In the bottom of the ninth,Will Bensonwould send the crowd into a frenzy with a game-tying home run. Then, it was onto extras.
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After shutting the Royals down in the top of the tenth, it would be Reds outfielderBlake Dunnwho got just enough of a ball into right field that brought Steer in for the game-winning run to take down the Royals 4-3. Dunn has been no stranger to being a hero for the Reds recently.
Jim Day interviews Blake Dunn after the MLB Interleague game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Kansas City Royals at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Tuesday, June 2, 2026. The Reds won 4-3 on a walkoff hit by Blake Dunn, scoring Spencer Steer from second base in the 10th inning. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Back on May 23rd, Dunn led the team to a victory in their second game of the day against theSt. Louis Cardinals.Matt Wilkes shared on Xthat Dunn's quick turnaround walk-off moments put him in rare company in Reds history.
Wilkes shared that the last player to have walk-off appearances in just 11 days was Javier Valentin, who accomplished the feat back in July of 2007.
September 26, 2008; St, Louis, MO, USA; Cincinnati Reds pinch hitter Javier Valentin (17) follows through on a two run home run in the ninth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
Valentin was a name I didn't expect to be talking about after a win for the Reds in 2026, yet here we are. The former Reds catcher spent five seasons in Cincinnati and now shares an unbelievable stat with Dunn.
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Can They Get Hot?
Shirtless fans cheer from the upper deck in the 10th inning of the MLB Interleague game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Kansas City Royals at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Tuesday, June 2, 2026. The Reds won 4-3 on a walkoff hit by Blake Dunn, scoring Spencer Steer from second base in the 10th inning. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
If Tuesday night proved anything, it's that it is really fun at Great American Ball Park when these Redlegs win. It's so much fun that even the tarps-off craze could cause even the most pessimistic fan to crack a smile. However, can the team keep up the good times?
The Reds could be withoutElly De La Cruzfor the entire month of June; best-case scenario, he is back in two weeks. While they may seem like something that could end the season before it truly begins, these Reds proved on Tuesday night that they can still find a way to win without their superstar.
But that's the funny thing about baseball. None of us knows how a game, week, month, or year will shake out. For instance, a team may need the services of a Benson or a Dunn to get them a much-needed win on a Tuesday night in June.
