The Cincinnati Reds have earned a high-five in their rivalry with the Cleveland Guardians.
Andrew Abbott’s three-hitter and first career complete game, along with an RBI single by Spencer Steer, allowed visiting Cincinnati to beat Cleveland 1-0 on Tuesday.
It made the Reds a perfect 5-0 against the Guardians in 2025, giving them a chance to complete the season sweep on Wednesday afternoon.
Cincinnati, which also has won five straight overall, will send left-hander Nick Lodolo (4-4, 3.21 ERA) to the mound to face Cleveland lefty Logan Allen (3-4, 4.42) in the series finale.
“We have been playing really good baseball here for a little bit, and we’re going to continue to build off that,” Reds center fielder TJ Friedl said. “We know what we have in this clubhouse. We’re just going to take that and roll with it.”
Rolling, literally, has been the highlight of the intrastate battle this week.
Cincinnati’s players didn’t believe manager Terry Francona that the Ohio Cup was an actual award until the silver trophy was wheeled into the clubhouse after the opener.
It was understandable as the Reds hadn’t claimed the season series since 2014.
“When they rolled that trophy in here on the cart, we were like, ‘Oh, it’s real.’ It’s right there,” Friedl said, laughing.
Steer is only batting .230 on the year, but his go-ahead single off Slade Cecconi made him 4-for-7 with runners in scoring position over the last eight games. It marked his fifth straight game with a hit against the Guardians.
Abbott has been even more dominant against Cleveland, making him the front-runner for the Frank Robinson Most Outstanding Player Award that will be given on Wednesday to the Ohio Cup’s top performer. He is 2-0 with 14 scoreless innings in two starts versus the Guardians this year.
“They pitch well, they hit well, they play good defense, take good at-bats,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said of the Reds. “They’re a very good team.”
Vogt’s squad has dropped back-to-back home series for the first time since August 2023.
Cleveland hadn’t been blanked 1-0 in its ballpark since a Aug. 9, 2023, setback against the Toronto Blue Jays until Abbott’s 110-pitch masterpiece.
“It’s a long season, up and down,” Guardians first baseman Carlos Santana said through an interpreter. “Mentally, we have to keep up the fight. We have to think one day at a time and play the best baseball, but we can do it.”
Lodolo is 1-1 with a 6.30 ERA in two career starts against Cleveland. Allen pitched six scoreless innings and earned a win two years ago in his lone appearance against Cincinnati.
Jose Ramirez continues to be the driving force for the Guardians, batting .388 with seven homers and 18 RBIs during a 36-game on-base streak that began April 30.
The six-time All-Star third baseman’s streak is the second longest in the majors this season, trailing the 41-gamer by Kyle Schwarber of the Philadelphia Phillies, and ties Cleveland’s longest in the past 19 years. Jason Kipnis had a 36-game streak in 2013.
“(Ramirez) is that good where you always know where he is on your lineup card,” Francona said. “I remember feeling like that with Miggy (former American League MVP Miguel Cabrera) in Detroit. This guy is kind of the same.”
–Field Level Media
