The Reds win another series. They beat the Twins in a rain-shortened game to do it
Think the Cincinnati Reds mind a rain-shortened win? Unlikely.
Not when the that win extended the club's win streak to four games on the run, plus four consecutive series victories.
The Reds game with the Minnesota Twins Wednesday night, June 18 was called a little before midnight after the second rain delay of the game. The Reds will go for a series sweep of the Twins on Thursday afternoon (12:40 p.m.) after taking Wednesday's weather-plagued tilt, 4-2. The tarp was placed over the infield with two outs in the Reds' at-bat in the bottom of the sixth inning, and that was the last of the action for the night.
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The win improved the Reds to 39-35, and pulled them to within a half-game of the last of three National League wild card positions. While it might be too early to be thinking about playoff seeding, it's not too early for Cincinnati to be positioning itself for contention, and that's what the club has achieved in winning nine of its last 11 games.
"It's fluid," Reds manager Terry Francona said. "It's always fluid. Somebody's gonna be hot. Somebody's not. It's always, it's just fluid."
Cincinnati Reds line up for the National Anthem before the MLB game between Cincinnati Reds and Minnesota Twins at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Wednesday, June 18, 2025.
After a 2:07 rain delay to start the night at Great American Ball Park, the Twins' Byron Buxton christened the occasion with a lead-off, first-pitch home run for a 1-0 lead.
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Ex-Twin Spencer Steer erased that deficit quickly, hammering a two-run homer to right field in the bottom of the first inning.
With more weather bearing down on Greater Cincinnati, the Reds tacked on one run apiece in the second and third innings. Matt McLain's second-inning single plated Jose Trevino, and Will Benson notched his third RBI of the series in the third when his single drove in Steer, who doubled.
First baseman Spencer Steer 7) hits a double in the third inning of the Wednesday, June 18 game against the Twins at Great American Ball Park. Steer had hit a two-run home run in the first inning to give the Reds a 2-1 lead.
"We didn't know it was going to be shortened, so I'm always of the opinion that adding on is very good for us regardless of how many innings we're gonna play," Francona said.
All the while, Cincinnati starting pitcher Nick Lodolo pitched with a command and an efficiency that suited the meteorological pressures of the night, although Lodolo said he wasn't "pitching to" the weather.
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Lodolo (5-5) needed 87 pitches to get through six innings of two-run baseball. Reliever Brent Suter was warming up for the Reds when the game was halted by rain for the second time.
"Other than the first pitch of the game, he was really good," Francona said. "He was good."
Nick Lodolo gave the Reds a quality start Wednesday, June 18. Lodolo pitched six innings, allowing two runs. He gave up three hits and two walks while striking out four.
Twins starter Bailey Ober was in the process of finishing the sixth inning when the game was halted with Jake Fraley leading in the count, 1-0. Trevino had singled to reach first base.
Neither club saw a reliever touch the mound beyond the bullpen, which should aid both teams well in Thursday's series finale.
The Reds are scheduled to send Nick Martinez (4-7, 3.92 ERA) out to claim the sweep of the three-game set against Minnesota's Chris Paddock (2-6, 4.30 ERA).
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: The Reds win another series. They beat the Twins in a rain-shortened game
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