The Reds needed just one swing to win this one. JJ Bleday's home run in the first inning was all the offense Cincinnati would get, and it was enough. The Reds beat the Guardians 2-0 at Great American Ball Park, turning a handful of hits into a full night's work while their bullpen made sure nothing slipped through.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLE | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| CIN | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 2 | 3 | 0 |
Bleday went 1-for-3 with a home run and an RBI, his solo shot the only run Cincinnati would need. He finished with a run scored to match, his lone hit of the night carrying the full weight of the scoreboard. Dane Myers added a hit and a walk, and later came around to score the Reds' second run.
Bleday's homer to right, a 381-foot drive in the first inning, gave Cincinnati a lead it never gave back. The Reds added an insurance run in the fifth when Myers scored on a wild pitch by Williams, with Ivan Johnson advancing to third on the same play. That was the entirety of the scoring, two runs across nine innings, but it held up start to finish.
Gavin Williams was brilliant in defeat, working 7.0 innings and striking out 12 while allowing just 3 hits and 2 runs (2 earned) with a walk. It was a performance that would win most nights, but Cincinnati's pitching was just a shade better. Williams took the loss, falling to 10-6 on the season with a 3.71 ERA. Cleveland managed only 3 hits as a team and could not solve the Reds' staff.
Jose Franco picked up the win for Cincinnati, covering 3.2 innings in relief without allowing a run on 1 hit, striking out 2 while walking 2. It was his first win of the season. Emilio Pagan closed it out with a scoreless inning for his 11th save. Cincinnati's bullpen as a whole covered 7.1 innings without allowing a run, backing up starter Caleb Ferguson, who went 1.2 innings before handing things off. The win moved the Reds to 50-56, snapping into a one-game winning streak, while Cleveland slipped to 55-54 with the loss.