The Cincinnati Reds didn’t go quietly, but their four-game winning streak was snapped nonetheless.
The Seattle Mariners amassed a five-run lead that withstood a Reds comeback attempt in a 5-3 win Wednesday at Great American Ball Park before a crowd of 11,817. Seattle’s Cal Raleigh hit two solo home runs and Dylan Moore caused problems for Reds pitchers for the second straight game as he went 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
Mariners starter Bryce Miller (1-2) held the Reds’ hitters in check for five innings. Reliever Andrés Muñoz came on for the ninth inning and recorded his seventh save of 2025.
The Reds will close out their six-game homestand Thursday with a scheduled 12:40 p.m. first pitch against the Mariners. A Cincinnati victory would mark a 5-1 record on the homestand, in addition to a third consecutive series win.
On Thursday, Reds starting pitcher Brady Singer (3-0, 3.18 ERA) will be opposed by Seattle’s Bryan Woo (2-0, 2.84 ERA).
On Wednesday, Cincinnati fell behind early for the second night in a row. Julio Rodriguez reached first base on an Elly De La Cruz fielding error, and Randy Arozarena doubled to make the Reds pay as Rodriguez scored for a 1-0 lead.
Moore, who homered twice in Seattle’s losing effort Tuesday, doubled and later scored on Ben Williamson’s RBI single in the second inning.
Moore was at it again in the fourth. He singled, stole second base, took third base on a Williamson groundout, and then crossed home for the fourth time in the series on J.P. Crawford’s single. His runs in the second and fourth innings came with two outs.
Seattle tacked on again in the fifth inning. Cal Raleigh’s sixth home run of the year gave the visitors a four-run cushion.
Martinez wouldn’t make it out of the fifth inning for Cincinnati. His night ended after 4 2/3 innings and having allowed four runs (three earned) on seven hits, three walks and a wild pitch. He struck out four, and was relieved by Scott Barlow (1 1/3 innings).
In the seventh inning, Raleigh went deep to left field, narrowly clearing the wall as outfielder Austin Hays’ dash to the wall trailed off and he looked up from the warning track. The homer was the 100th of Raleigh’s career.
The Reds finally started to string hits together in the bottom of the seventh inning. Singles by Gavin Lux and Spencer Steer preceded a Christian Encarnacion-Strand double that was lofted into the left field corner, providing ample time for both Lux and Steer to score.
All of that occurred with no outs, and Encarnacion-Strand scored two batters later on Jose Trevino’s single for 5-3.
One batter after that, following T.J. Friedl’s single to put runners on the corners with one out, Matt McLain came to the plate representing the go-ahead run, but he grounded into an inning-ending double play.
An inning later, De La Cruz reached on an infield single − a hot shot that Williamson could only knock down at third base. With Hays up next and representing the tying run, he struck out. But De La Cruz was also deemed out on his steal attempt by home plate umpire Chris Segal as a result of Hays interfering with Raleigh, the Mariners’ catcher.
Raleigh’s throw down to second in pursuit of De La Cruz was made with Hays bowed directly in front of him after Hays’ follow-through.