Francona’s Reds Debut Turns Sour: Giants Rally Late for Opening Day Win
CINCINNATI – Terry Francona‘s return to managing took a painful turn Thursday as his Cincinnati Reds suffered a gut-wrenching 6-4 loss to the San Francisco Giants on Opening Day. A four-run ninth-inning rally by San Francisco spoiled what had been a promising start for Cincinnati.
Giants Stun Reds with Late-Inning Surge
With the Reds holding a 3-2 lead, the Giants mounted a stunning comeback in the top of the ninth. Patrick Bailey’s two-out single to right-center tied the game, and Wilmer Flores followed with a go-ahead two-run homer into the left-field stands off reliever Ian gibaut.
Francona’s Closer Gamble Backfires
Francona’s decision to bring in Gibaut to close out the game, with Alexis Díaz on the injured list, is sure to be heavily scrutinized. Gibaut, who entered the game with just four career saves and 10 blown saves, couldn’t hold the lead. ”He left a breaking ball that caught too much of the plate,” Francona said of Gibaut’s fateful pitch to Flores.
Opening Day Began with a Dental Emergency
The day started on a sour note for Francona, who had to make an emergency visit to the dentist to repair a broken veneer. Before the game, Francona joked about the situation, saying he didn’t want to look like “Jethro Bodine” on Opening Day.
Reds Showed Promise Despite Loss
Despite the disappointing finish, there were luminous spots for the Reds. Jeimer Candelario had two hits and drove in three runs. the Cincinnati pitching staff also racked up 16 strikeouts,the second-most in team history on opening Day.
Greene Defends Gibaut, Urges Team to Bounce Back
Starting pitcher Hunter Greene, who pitched five innings, allowing two runs and striking out eight, voiced his support for Gibaut. “He’s one of our best pitchers,” Greene said. “Fans might not want to hear it. But they need to believe it because it is true.” Greene added that he spoke with Gibaut after the game to offer encouragement. Francona also challenged his team to persevere: “It better not deflate us too much…If that is too much for us, I got the wrong read on our guys,” he said.
Francona focused on the Season Ahead
Francona,managing again after a year off,emphasized that every day in baseball is special. He said he looks forward to the “grind of the season” and believes his team will have to “scrap” to win.
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Francona’s Reds debut Turns Sour: Giants Rally Late for Opening Day Win
CINCINNATI – Terry Francona’s return to managing took a painful turn Thursday as his Cincinnati Reds suffered a gut-wrenching 6-4 loss to the san Francisco Giants on Opening Day. A four-run ninth-inning rally by San Francisco spoiled what had been a promising start for Cincinnati.
Giants Stun Reds with Late-Inning Surge
With the Reds holding a 3-2 lead, the Giants mounted a stunning comeback in the top of the ninth. Patrick bailey’s two-out single to right-center tied the game, and Wilmer Flores followed with a go-ahead two-run homer into the left-field stands off reliever Ian Gibaut.
Francona’s Closer Gamble Backfires
Francona’s decision to bring in Gibaut to close out the game, with Alexis Díaz on the injured list, is sure to be heavily scrutinized. Gibaut,who entered the game with just four career saves and 10 blown saves,couldn’t hold the lead. “He left a breaking ball that caught too much of the plate,” Francona said of gibaut’s fateful pitch to Flores.
Opening Day Began with a dental Emergency
The day started on a sour note for Francona, who had to make an emergency visit to the dentist to repair a broken veneer. Before the game, Francona joked about the situation, saying he didn’t want to look like “Jethro Bodine” on Opening Day.
Reds Showed Promise Despite Loss
Despite the disappointing finish,ther were luminous spots for the Reds. Jeimer Candelario had two hits and drove in three runs. the Cincinnati pitching staff also racked up 16 strikeouts, the second-most in team history on opening Day.
Greene Defends Gibaut, Urges Team to Bounce Back
Starting pitcher Hunter Greene, who pitched five innings, allowing two runs and striking out eight, voiced his support for Gibaut. “He’s one of our best pitchers,” Greene said. “Fans might not want to hear it. But thay need to believe it because it is true.” Greene added that he spoke with Gibaut after the game to offer encouragement. Francona also challenged his team to persevere: “It better not deflate us too much…If that is too much for us, I got the wrong read on our guys,” he said.
Francona focused on the Season Ahead
Francona,managing again after a year off,emphasized that every day in baseball is special. He said he looks forward to the “grind of the season” and believes his team will have to “scrap” to win.
Q&A: Unpacking the Reds’ Opening Day Loss
The Reds’ Opening Day loss is a tough pill to swallow, but as francona stated, it’s just one game. Follow the Reds this season to see how they respond to this early setback!
