Major League Baseball made a decision that changed Cincinnati Reds history forever, but the current-day Reds were unable to accentuate what was received locally good news.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred announced Tuesday that late Reds great, Pete Rose, and 16 other deceased individuals were removed from the permanently ineligible list. While sentiments on matters concerning Rose remained divisive, Reds ownership welcomed the news of Manfred’s decision.
The game itself between the Reds and White Sox then felt somewhat secondary after Manfred’s decision came down after 4 p.m. Many already had their sights set to the Reds’ planned celebration of Rose at Great American Ball Park, plus other events planned elsewhere the city.
Even before the gates opened and during Tuesday’s rain delay, there was a buzz about the stadium because of the Rose news.
Cheers went up during a break in action during the middle innings when the scoreboard flashed this message: “Did You Know…: Today, MLB lifted the permanent ban on Pete Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson.”
The action on the field from the Reds failed to match the local excitement on the first of several days dedicated to celebrating Rose in a 10-inning, 5-1 loss by Cincinnati at Great American Ball Park before a crowd of 18,997. The game was played followed a 1:46 rain delay.
Cincinnati’s record dropped to 20-23 on the year, and 0-5 in extra-inning games.
Elly De La Cruz’s solo homer in the bottom of the ninth inning allowed Cincinnati to avoid its fourth 1-0 loss of 2025 but the Reds once again faltered in extra innings. The hit electrified the stadium in a manner befitting of the day’s Rose news.
Facing Reds reliever Emilio Pagán during his second inning of work in the 10th inning, Chase Meidroth’s two-out single drove in the eventual game-winning run for Chicago via Brooks Baldwin. Then, Miguel Vargas hammered a three-run homer to put the game out of reach for good.
Pagán fell to 0-2 on the year. He was tasked with pitching a second inning on Tuesday due to several Reds relievers being unavailable, manager Terry Francona said afterward.
“It was a big ask (of Pagán). As excited as you are that Elly hits the home run, we were feeling it in our bullpen,” Francona said. “We had a couple guys not available. We had another guy (available for) emergency… His first inning wasn’t a terrible amount of pitches but it’s still a big ask.”
Vargas scored the opening run of the game after led off the fourth inning with a double on a ball that four Reds converged on. T.J. Friedl, who later exited the game, and Elly De La Cruz, collided on the play.
The next batter, Edgar Quero, singled Vargas home for a 1-0 lead. Chicago made the lone run stand up on a night when the Reds managed just four hits.
Friedl, who was also hit by a pitch on the left forearm, was scheduled for a Wednesday morning MRI, both he and Francona said afterward.
“It’s tough. Like, I called it about halfway there (to the ball),” Friedl said post-game. “There’s no way he (De La Cruz) heard me. He’s going after it and I should have called it at the last second when I started my dive. I just made a decision to dive a little too late to speak up, so it was kind of like — our infielders are taught to go get the ball until they’re called off, and from where I called, I’m sure he maybe didn’t hear me. And Elly’s going to get every ball he can, which is why he is the way he is. His range is incredible.”
Reds starter Andrew Abbott didn’t factor in the decision after he allowed the one run on four hits over six innings. Abbott (2-0) also struck out seven.
For Chicago, Brandon Eisert went one inning to open the game before he gave way to Jonathan Cannon, who went six scoreless frames. Cannon was in line for the win prior to De La Cruz’s seventh homer of the season.
Prior to De La Cruz’s 435-foot shot into the right field bleachers, Reds baserunners successfully reached third base just once. Spencer Steer doubled in the fifth inning to lead-off and then reached third on a Gavin Lux groundout. But Steer was then tagged out in a moment of apparent indecision on a Matt McLain grounder.
Stuck between third and home plate, Steer retreated and Cannon threw over to Vargas, who applied the tag to extinguish the threat.
In the eighth inning, Joe Connor, who was added to the Reds’ roster via trade while the club was in Houston, doubled with one out in the but was thrown out attempting to steal third base.
“Connor’s trying to make something happen by his own admission,” Francona said.
The Reds and White Sox are scheduled to play again Wednesday at 7:14 p.m. − a game-time designed to honor Rose via the number “14” − with Cincinnati lefty Nick Lodolo (3-3, 3.23 ERA) scheduled to pitch against Chicago right-hander Davis Martin (1-4, 4.01 ERA).
