Game changed everything for Reds
Cincinnati Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson only remembers celebrating with emotion twice on a baseball field. The first was a walk-off home run in Low-a baseball, one of his first big hits as a professional baseball player.
The second was July 1, 2021.
At the time, the Reds had an eightgame deficit in the NL Central and a 8.5 game deficit to the Padres in the NL Wild Card race. The Reds played San Diego seven times in a two-week span, and the Padres won each of the first six matchups.
The series finale against the Padres on July 1 wasn’t called a “must-win” within the Reds dugout, but it was Cincinnati’s final chance to prove it could beat one of the hottest teams in MLB.
San Diego brought Mark Melancon, who had an ERA of 1.80, into the game with a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the ninth.
With one out and no one on base, Reds shortstop Kyle Farmer hit a cutter over the center field fence. Farmer tied the game and later called it one of his two favorite moments of the season.
“Confidence wise, it was nice to do that and then to have a comeback win like that,” Farmer said. “It kept people wanting more.”
The Reds got two runners on base, and San Diego intentionally walked Reds right fielder Nick Castellanos. The Padres chose to face Stephenson, who went up to the plate with two outs and the bases loaded in a tie game.
Reds first baseman Joey Votto went into the on-deck circle to watch Stephenson hit. Since the bases were loaded in a tie game with two outs, there wasn’t a chance Votto would hit in the ninth inning. He still crouched in the ondeck circle without a bat or a helmet just to get a closer look.
When Stephenson singled to right field, Votto pointed both of his fingers into the air. Stephenson flipped his bat, flexed and shouted. The entire Reds dugout sprinted onto the field. Nearly everyone on the team, including Votto and manager David Bell, gave Stephenson a hug.