Reds vs Guardians Recap: Late Reds Rally Stuns Cleveland

The Cincinnati Reds visited Cleveland on Friday, May 15, and pulled off an exciting 7–6 victory over the Guardians. Both teams came into the game with similar records and plenty of playoff hopes. The Reds brought momentum after crushing the Nationals 15–1 in their last outing. Meanwhile, the Guardians were looking to bounce back from a tough loss to Detroit. Andrew Abbott took the mound for Cincinnati while Tanner Bibee started for Cleveland. Early on, the game stayed quiet, but the Reds were ready to strike. In the second inning, Cincinnati broke through with two runs and took control. The young Reds offense showed exactly why they're exciting to watch when they get rolling.

Cincinnati built an early lead by scoring two runs in the second inning through smart baserunning. Bleday scored when McLain walked with bases loaded, then Steer crossed the plate on Stephenson's sacrifice fly to right field. The Reds added another run in the fifth when De La Cruz doubled to right, bringing Hayes home. That made it 3–0 for Cincinnati. Cleveland got on the board in the sixth inning when Hoskins launched a solo home run to left, traveling 382 feet and hitting at 104 mph exit velocity. However, the biggest moment came in the eighth inning. Steer singled, and then McLain connected on a two-run homer that soared 377 feet into left-center. Suddenly, the Reds had built a commanding 6–1 lead.

The Guardians refused to quit despite trailing 6–1 going into the eighth inning. Cleveland launched a furious comeback attempt, loading the bases and getting four runs in that frame. Bazzana singled to right, bringing Hoskins home. Then Rocchio walked to score Manzardo. Kwan also walked, driving in another run. Finally, Ramírez hit a sacrifice fly to center for one more. That made it 6–5 Reds heading into the ninth. Cincinnati tacked on one insurance run when Bleday's fielder's choice scored Myers. In the ninth, Cleveland managed one last run when Martínez grounded out, bringing Manzardo home. However, it wasn't enough. The Reds held on for a 7–6 victory, improving their record to 24–21.