Why Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona planned meeting if team had lost to Cubs
'I was so into the whole game,' he said, 'because we wanted to win. And nobody felt sorry for themselves or for us.
'In fact, if we'd have lost, I probably would have talked to them.'
Blindsided by an unplanned bullpen game for the second day in a row after their long, wet ordeal in the Bristol Motor Speedway sideshow game over the weekend, Reds reliever after Reds reliever kept the Chicago Cubs in check for a comeback, 3-2 win Monday night
No need for a message after a finish like that. Besides, veteran Brent Suter did the inspirational honors well enough after the game anyway, Francona said.
But had they lost another tough one after all that rain, extra travel and the sudden finger blister that waylaid their hottest starting pitcher in the second inning?
'That's what mean,' Francona said. 'We've had a lot thrown at us. And sometimes your margin for error's less. 'OK, then let's not make errors. Let's just play the game the way we know how.'
'This can be our time to shine. We don't have to feel sorry for ourselves.'
The Reds went from the mess of Bristol, Tennessee, into the teeth of a final 50-game stretch run that opened with three against the Cubs and two of the next three series after that against two more of the NL's top teams: Philadelphia and Milwaukee.
'Divisional games are huge, especially where we are in the season,' said closer Emilio Pagán, who earned a career-high 24th save with a 1-2-3 ninth. 'And so we talked about it as we're not going to have any excuses moving forward.'
That seems to especially apply to bullpen core that has carried a heavy load at times – none more than Scott Barlow, who has pitched in six of the Reds' last seven games, including two innings Monday.
'Everybody down there just wants the ball at all times,' Barlow said.
'We've just kind of had the attitude of, 'Bring it on.' '
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Reds manager Terry Francona planned meeting if team had lost to Cubs
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Associated Press
2 minutes ago
- Associated Press
American League-leading Blue Jays go deep 5 times in a 10-4 win over Rockies
DENVER (AP) — Daulton Varsho hit a pair of two-run homers and a two-run double, and the American League-leading Toronto Blue Jays went deep five times in a 10-4 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night. Varsho homered after Alejandro Kirk's two-out single off Anthony Molina in the fourth to give Toronto (67-48) a 3-2 lead. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (three hits) and Addison Barger both homered for the 17th time — hitting back-to-back shots leading off the sixth. Kirk walked and scored on Varsho's 11th homer to cap the four-run inning. Varsho's double came in a three-run ninth to complete the scoring. Nathan Lukes had two hits and hit his 10th homer — a two-out shot in the third for Toronto's first run. Bo Bichette contributed two hits, a day after hitting two homers and driving in six runs in a 15-1 victory. José Berríos (8-4) allowed four runs, three earned, in 5 1/3 innings. Tommy Nance pitched a scoreless ninth to end it. Hunter Goodman hit his 22nd homer, a two-run shot in the first for Colorado. Mickey Moniak and Warming Bernabel chased Berríos with consecutive RBI singles, pulling the Rockies within 7-4. Molina (0-1) allowed seven runs on nine hits in five innings in his second career start. Jaden Hill allowed three runs on four hits in the ninth. Toronto has 39 hits in the first two games after collecting 25 in the opener — one off the club record for a two-games stretch. Key moment Yariel Rodríguez replaced Berríos with one out and runners at the corners and retired Thairo Estrada on an inning-ending double play to keep it 7-4. Estrada left after appearing to injure his leg. Key stat Varsho's second homer — a 467-foot shot to the upper deck in right — was the longest of his career and the longest by a Blue Jay this season. Up next Toronto RHP Kevin Gausman (7-8, 3.99 ERA) starts Wednesday against Colorado LHP Kyle Freeland (2-11, 5.26) in the series finale. ___ AP MLB:
Associated Press
3 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Son Heung-min signs with MLS' Los Angeles FC after a decade at Tottenham
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Son Heung-min agreed to a contract with Los Angeles FC on Tuesday, finalizing his move to Major League Soccer after a decade at Tottenham Hotspur. The 33-year-old South Korean superstar forward is joining LAFC three days after he formally announced his decision to leave Tottenham. Son attended LAFC's Leagues Cup match against Tigres at BMO Stadium on Tuesday night, watching from a luxury suite. LAFC will formally introduce Son at a news conference Wednesday. LAFC, a deep-pocketed club with significant team success in its first eight seasons of existence, reportedly paid a transfer fee of more than $20 million, which could end up being the most ever for an MLS move. Son was a beloved presence at Spurs, scoring 173 goals in 454 competitive appearances for the North London club while rising to global prominence with his combination of speed, playmaking skill and finishing acumen. The captain was given a memorable farewell last week in Seoul during Tottenham's exhibition match against Newcastle, getting a guard of honor from both teams and tearfully exiting in the second half while nearly 65,000 fans roared. But South Korea's most popular athlete — and almost certainly the greatest Asian soccer player in history — has chosen an auspicious stage for the next chapter of his groundbreaking career. Los Angeles has the world's largest ethnic Korean population outside Korea, with the city's vibrant Koreatown district sitting just a couple of miles from LAFC's BMO Stadium. LAFC is undoubtedly hoping to market Son as a soccer counterpart to the Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, albeit on a smaller scale. Ohtani, the three-time MLB MVP from Japan who is on a trajectory to become the greatest Asian player in baseball history, draws fans from across the Pacific Rim to Dodger Stadium while attracting millions in sponsorships and partnerships for the Dodgers. Son's move to California also puts him in position to make an impact on and off the field at the World Cup, which will be held across North America in 2026. Son, the captain of his national team, already has said he will play in his fourth World Cup. After leading Tottenham to its first European trophy in decades by winning the Europa League in May in a fitting cap to his English career, Son will go straight into the MLS Cup race when suits up for his new club. LAFC currently sits sixth in the Western Conference at 10-6-6, but with multiple games in hand on every team in front of it because of its participation in the Club World Cup. Son's seven Premier League goals last season were his fewest since his Tottenham debut, but he still appears to have the pace and skill necessary to be a difference-maker at any level. He also turned 33 only a month ago, putting him on the younger end of the global stars recently arriving in MLS. Lionel Messi and Marco Reus were 35 and Luis Suárez was 37 when they went stateside in recent years, while Olivier Giroud and Lloris were both 37 when they joined LAFC last year. Son also will be reunited with longtime Tottenham teammate Hugo Lloris, who has been outstanding since becoming LAFC's goalkeeper last season. High-scoring French forward Denis Bouanga is the only designated player currently under contract for LAFC, and general manager John Thorrington has been criticized by some fans for not using the full power of his financial resources this season. LAFC spent months on an ultimately failed attempt to get France's Antoine Griezmann to leave Atlético Madrid. Son seems to be a much better fit for LAFC than Giroud, who moved to Lille last month after one disappointing year in California. LAFC plays a counterattacking, speed-based style that didn't suit Giroud's goal-scoring strengths, while Son theoretically should be right at home in such a system. But LAFC also could alter its style in the winter after coach Steve Cherundolo departs for Germany following four largely successful seasons highlighted by an MLS Cup championship. ___ AP soccer:
CBS News
3 minutes ago
- CBS News
Logan Webb strikes out 10 batters, Giants beat the Pirates 8-1
Logan Webb struck out 10 in six innings, and the San Francisco Giants hit three home runs on their way to an 8-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night. Webb (10-8) allowed one run while scattering seven hits. It was his sixth double-digit strikeout game of the season. Rookie Christian Koss and Willy Adames each hit a two-run homer and Jerar Encarnacion added a solo shot off rookie Mike Burrows as San Francisco won for just the third time in 11 games. Koss opened the scoring with a drive into the left-field bleachers in the third inning. Encarnacion's blast increased the Giants' lead to 3-1 in the fourth, and Adames' 18th homer of the season made it 6-1 in the fifth. Encarnacion was playing his first game since June 15 after being sidelined by a strained left oblique. San Francisco's Patrick Bailey added a two-run single in the sixth inning. Burrows (1-4) was charged with six runs in 4 2/3 innings. Bryan Reynolds had two hits and drove in the Pirates' lone run with a single in the third inning. Pittsburgh lost for the third time in four games. Pirates reliever Cam Sanders made his major league debut and pitched two scoreless innings. He is the son of Scott Sanders, who pitched in the major leagues from 1993-99, primarily with San Diego. The Pirates loaded the bases in the third, but Webb got Nick Gonzales to ground out to end the inning. Webb surpassed 1,000 career innings. The seven-year veteran has logged 1,002 2/3 in seven seasons. The series concludes Wednesday with a matchup of left-handers, Robbie Ray (9-5, 2.85 ERA) pitching for the Giants against Andrew Heaney (5-9, 4.89 ERA). ___ AP MLB:
