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    Sal Stewart Finally…Is A Big Leaguer.

    By
    Nati
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    0
    Sal Stewart Cincinnati Reds
    sal stewart cincinnati reds

    It only took until roster expansion, but finally, Sal Stewart is a Big Leaguer. What a joke, but hey, it’s finally happening so let’s focus on the positives, cause down the stretch, there hasn’t been many.

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    Sal Stewart Tore MiLB Up. Literally.

    Sal literally cruised through the minor leagues, perhaps as easy as Elly de La Cruz did when he was a prospect. Just look at these numbers, folks. Sal tallied 10 HRs at both AAA AND AA bringing his total up to 20 HRs. He had an incredible BB:K throughout the year as well.

    A lot of us are unhappy about Sal not getting called up earlier, but he will end up being eligible for the postseason after all, should the Reds somehow make it. He was added to the roster on 8/31 and the cutoff is 9/1.

    What Will Sal Stewart’s Role Be?

    One can infer that Terry Francona will ultimately be using him in the Designated Hitter role and likely at first base. Spencer Steer has been pushed out of a daily role after a very underwhelming 2025 performance.

    On debut day, Sal is batting in the 6 hole behind Gavin Lux and in front of Ke’Bryan Hayes. There is not a ton of lineup protection for him there, but as long as Sal’s stick is in the lineup, the Cincinnati Reds look a lot better. Perhaps my favorite thing about him is his confidence and his swag: those are two of the main components to being a successful ballplayer.

    Stewart’s Rich Offseason

    Sal Stewart will be a candidate to be early extended, as his agency is one that has done the deals before. The Cincinnati Reds should surely be looking into getting another piece of their youth locked up early. Sal is a humble kid, he could definitely entertain it, especially making his big league debut this early.

    In the offseason, Sal Stewart also trains with Padres’ beast, Manny Machado. He also works with Yonder Alonso, former Red, so he has a big nucleus of MLB guys around him to help his big league path. Sal debuts today, here’s to a long, fruitful career as a CINCINNATI RED!

    Bengals Beef Up Offensive Line, Sign Dalton Risner

    By
    JacobM09
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    0

    A move that signals that this might be a serious organization at last.

    If it was not already true before today, then today’s move solidifies the fact that the 2025 season will feature the best offensive line the Bengals have fielded since they drafted Joe Burrow. After, in some fans’ cases, literal years of begging, the Bengals finally bit the bullet and signed guard Dalton Risner.

    Risner, a second-round pick in 2019 out of Kansas State, has started 81 of the 87 games he has played in his career. Drafted by the Broncos, Risner spent the last two seasons as a member of the Vikings. In those two seasons with the Vikings, Risner did not allow a sack, per PFF, which should be music to the ears of both Bengals fans and Joe Burrow after what was endured with Volson and Cappa starting last year.

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    Dalton Risner Hasn’t Practiced

    Now, for some tempering of expectations. The expectation for the fans (and the team) should not be for him to start week 1. Risner missed all of training camp and will need to acclimate to both playing shape and the offense before he can really be counted on. Also, there was a report from James Rapien saying the Bengals saw him as a depth piece. No one will be surprised if/when he eventually starts, but fans should prepare themselves for Lucas Patrick to start the season.

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    With the negatives out of the way, hats off to the Bengals. They went about this offseason in about one of the weirdest ways possible, but they got better. Not many people thought they would resign their stars and make the team better, but it seems they did. Risner will take time to mesh, and the defense is a work in progress, but for once, hats off to Duke Tobin and the Brown/Blackburn family.

    Edwin Arroyo Has Been Tearing Up AA in the Second Half

    By
    Nati
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    0
    cincinnati reds edwin arroyo
    cincinnati reds edwin arroyo

    You probably forgot about him, but us at Nati Sports HQ haven’t, and I bet the Cincinnati Reds haven’t, either. Edwin Arroyo has been on fire in AA since July and it’s been a consistent on fire. No, he isn’t hitting a ton of homeruns, he likely never will, and we know that’s what’s usually exciting to baseball fans, but this dude is doing it in other ways in AA Chattanooga.

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    Edwin Arroyo Is Known For Defense, But…

    Edwin Arroyo has always been a glove-first prospect, but what he’s been doing offensively after an extremely strenuous and notoriously career defining shoulder surgery (torn labrum) is something to be raising your eyes at.

    Arroyo, someone who has dropped out of a few top 100 prospect listings, but still in the Reds’ on several rankings, has been on fire in AA Chattanooga for the Lookouts from July through today, in August, signaling his shoulder has healed appropiately. Like we mentioned above, it hasn’t been ‘sexy’ offense which is what we all like to see with HRs, but it’s been ‘getting it done’ and he’s created tremendous value.

    His slashline currently reads .285/.348/.389/.727 which doesn’t stick out, but if he can mimick this at the MLB level, the Reds could deploy a very good contact hitter that can hit from both boxes that will play at a gold glove level defensively. Since the start of the second half, Edwin is slashing .307/.373/.429/.802 which is why I believe the longer his shoulder has to heal, the better he’ll be.

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    Homers Don’t Mean Everything, per Reds

    Chris Valaika is notorious for almost ‘hating’ homeruns. No, but literally. I have a feeling the new hitting coordinator is a lot of the reason the Reds were reluctant to include Arroyo in trade packages at the deadline. Arroyo does run into them from time to time, but he only has 3 HRs on the season in AA in 393 ABs. Definitely not a HR guy.

    However, even though we all recognize his lack of power, he’s still only 22 years old, and growing into his 5’11” frame. There’s a lot of baseball IQ packed into this kid, and he’s arguably the most baseball savvy prospect the Reds have. That’s where we get into his value add offensively…

    Dating back to July 1st, 2025 when Arroyo faced the White Sox’s AA team, he has a 131 WRC+ with a .379 wOBA and a .350 BABIP. Everything he’s done has been VERY sustainable. He’s also running a very reasonable 9.5 BB%, and 14.5% K% – borderline elite. He isn’t striking out much at all.

    What’s next for Edwin Arroyo?

    One would hope he’ll be promoted to AAA Louisville shortly. As it stands, Davis Wendzel and Trey Faltine have been sharing time at shortshop in Louisville. Neither of these two will sniff the big leagues, but perhaps more fairly put, they aren’t viewed like Edwin is in the Reds org.

    With that said, Edwin deserves the promotion and to face some more polished strikethrowers in AAA. It’ll get him one step closer to hopefully playing in the big leagues. If the Reds are keeping him in AA to protect his trade value, his performance in September won’t matter. They need to promote him now and get him a step closer. His value defensively is tremendous. If he can switch hit and give the Reds a daily bat while playing gold glove caliber defense, the Reds won that Luis Castillo trade by a landslide.

    Bengals Release Former Cincinnati Bearcats QB

    By
    Nati
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    desmond ridder
    cincinnati bengals bearcats desmond ridder

    It is with great shame that I announce that the Cincinnati Bengals have released the former Cincinnati Bearcats standout QB Desmond Ridder. It was fun while it lasted in the preseason.

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    Desmond Ridder Has Been Released

    Desmond Ridder, as we wrote about, signed onto the Bengals in July this summer and was tasked with competing for QB3. Jake Browning has QB2 pretty locked up. Des had a terrible outing against the Colts where he threw an interception, and only completed 40% of his passes.

    There’s still the possibility that he can be brought back on the practice squad, but with him being outright released, per Tom Pelissero, this is highly unlikely as well. The cool story out of the summer when it comes to Bengals training camp has unfortunately hit what will be a sad one, unless we get to bring you an update saying otherwise.

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    Unclear who QB3 will be

    The Bengals have yet to announce their 53 man roster, obviously, as cut day occurred yesterday. There is the best liklihood that they know a QB will be getting cut shortly from another team, and they will be bringing that guy in to be QB3 to backup Joe Burrow and Jake Browning.

    Bengals Finally, Finally get a Trey Hendrickson Deal Done.

    By
    JacobM09
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    0

    As of August 25th, 2025, Cincinnati Bengals fans can breathe a (momentary) side of relief. Trey Hendrickson has agreed to a reworked deal that will pay him $30 million for the 2025 season. However, this is not an extension, meaning Hendrickson will be a free agent following this upcoming season. Following several seasons of contract drama leading into week one with the stars of the team, the Bengals finally locked down one of their guys before a week one deadline, if only for a season.

    What this means (short term)

    At least for this season, the Bengals defense got better. A unit that was hoping to rebound after a disastrous 2024 season got a top 5 pass rusher in the league back, and hopefully with some development from younger players, Hendrickson will be leading a much-improved pass rush. A combo of Hendrickson and Shemart Stewart should get Bengals fans excited, as they have the potential to be a game-wrecking duo.

    For Hendrickson and his agent, it is hard to see this as anything other than a win. He got an extension that was rightly deserved and will potentially get the chance to shove the Bengals lack of year two and three guarantees in their face after the season ends. Dianna Russini of the Athletic reported shortly after the deal was announced that the Bengals had put forth a 3-year deal on the table, but the lack of guarantees ultimately sunk, at least for the time being.

    What this means (long term)

    Buddy, the Bengals are putting a ton of faith in their young edge rushers. The team has plenty of cap space after this season to enter into negotiations again (or potentially Franchise tag, but that feels like it would get even uglier) if they wish, but after this round, it is hard to see it going much better, especially if Hendrickson performs the way he has been.

    This is a pretty big gamble on Shemar Stewart and Myles Murphy more than anything. Joseph Ossai and Cam Sample are free agents again after this season, and Cedric Johnson is a day-3 pick. Stewart has looked the part throughout training camp, so that spot feels potentially filled, but Murphy has shown next to nothing in two seasons in the black and orange. If nothing else, this puts DL as a potential high need, yet again, going into the 2026 offseason.

    Final Word

    The Bengals got better today. A holdout of one of their top 5 players ended, and he will be practicing with the team two weeks prior to the opener. This is a team that should finally have no distractions going into the season for the first time since pre-Burrow. However, it is hard to understate how badly the team has fumbled the negations for a guy who wants to be in this city and on this team. But that also may be written on their epitaph one day.

    Recap: Reds vs. D-Backs 08/24/25

    By
    DatDudeDS
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    0

    Looking to avoid their first sweep of the season, the Reds send out Brady Singer. (11-9 4.18 ERA) Arizona counters with veteran righty Zac Gallen. (9-13 5.13 ERA)

    Arizona 1-0 (Bottom 1st)

    For the third straight game, Arizona got an early run off the Reds starter. Luis Perdomo led off the inning with a triple to RF, and two batters later Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit a sac fly to CF to draw an early lead for the D-Backs.

    Singer would settle down and retire the last 10 batters he faced, finishing the game with 6 IP, allowing one hit and three walks while striking out nine. He gave the Reds a chance to get back in the game, and in the 6th they did just that.

    Tie 1-1 (Top 6th)

    Noelvi Marte hit a one out triple, and came in from third on a throwing error by Perdomo. It was his second little league HR of the season and deadlocked the game at 1.

    Cincinnati 6-1 (Top 8th)

    Marte would be part of the next run scored as well in the 8th. He led off the inning with a single off Perdomo’s glove at SS, and would advance to 2B on a flyout to deep RF. Austin Hays would then single to CF, driving Marte in and giving the Reds their first lead of the afternoon.

    Gavin Lux followed with a single of his own before Spencer Steer came up and hit a blast to LF for a 3-run HR. It was Steers 16th of the season and gave the Reds a 5-1 lead.

    The scoring in the 8th didn’t stop there though. After a Matt McLain single and Jose Trevino walk, TJ Friedl shot a single to RF to score McLain and extend the lead to five.

    Graham Ashcraft, Tony Santillan and Emilio Pagan came in and delivered three scoreless innings to close out the game and salvage a game for Cincinnati. The Reds remain the only team in baseball to not be swept this year. They now head back to Los Angeles, this time to face the Dodgers for three. Hunter Greene will go for Cincinnati tomorrow night at 10:10 eastern.

    Win: Graham Ashcraft (8-5)

    Loss: Kyle Backhus (0-3)

    Five Things I Want to See in Ohio State’s Season Opener vs. Texas

    By
    OhioDivided
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    0

    The wait is finally (almost) over. College football fans won’t have to circle the calendar anymore—No. 1 Texas vs. No. 3 Ohio State is officially here. On Saturday, August 30th, the Buckeyes open their season at home in Columbus with one of the most anticipated matchups of the year. Kickoff is set for noon on FOX (thanks to the brain deads at the network who love to take nice things from us).

    This game has everything: Ryan Day vs. Steve Sarkisian, Julian Sayin vs. Arch Manning, blue-chip talent everywhere, and playoff implications before September even hits. Here are five things I want to see in Ohio State’s opener with Texas.

    1. Can Ohio State Establish the Run?

    Ohio State will need to take the same approach they took against Oregon and Texas last season. In last year’s College Football Playoff, they found success by flipping the script: passing first to set up the run late.

    Against Texas, the formula should be the same. Let Julian Sayin get comfortable with play-action, screens, sending guys in motion… creative, but simple ways to get the ball to Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate, and Brandon Inniss. Force the Longhorns to play east & west not north & south, back defenders out of the box, and then cash in on the run game once they are guessing and spread out.

    Texas’s defensive approach is to not allow explosives over the top so the Buckeyes chances will be limited, but when they do come, they need to hit one or two of them.

    2. How Will Julian Sayin Handle the Pressure?

    The sophomore is stepping into the fire. His first career start? At home. Against the No. 1 team in the country.

    Sayin doesn’t have to be Superman. He just needs to keep drives alive, convert on third downs, and avoid the backbreaking turnover. Mistakes will happen, but leadership and keeping the offense on schedule will matter more. Buckeye fans want to see if Sayin can command the huddle and give Ohio State a chance in the fourth quarter.

    3. Are the New Coordinators Ready for Prime Time?

    For the first time in the Ryan Day era, both coordinator spots are new:

    • Brian Hartline, taking over full offensive duties.
    • Matt Patricia, the former NFL head coach, now leading the defense.

    It would be crazy to expect perfection in Week 1, but what matters most is whether the units look organized, creative, and connected. Hartline’s playcalling rhythm and Patricia’s defensive adjustments will be under the microscope from the opening drive.

    4. Can the Defense Stop the Run and Pressure Arch Manning?

    Everyone is talking about Julian Sayin’s debut, but don’t forget—Arch Manning hasn’t played a ton of football either.

    Ohio State’s game plan should be clear: stop the Texas run game, force Manning into 2nd-and-long and 3rd-and-long situations, and make him prove he can beat you with his arm. The Buckeyes’ front seven, paired with elite talent like Caleb Downs on the back end, must control the line of scrimmage.

    Ohio State’s front 7 might have an advantage against Texas’s offensive line. Fall camp reports have stated the Longhorns have had offensive line issues replacing guys to the 2025 NFL draft.

    If Ohio State can make Manning uncomfortable, the chances of a defensive turnover skyrocket which could lead to being the difference.

    5. Just Win, Baby

    At the end of the day, all that matters is the scoreboard. Ryan Day summed it up best: “Find a way to have one more point than Texas.”

    Yes, it’s the first game for a new QB. Yes, there are new coordinators on both sides of the ball. But there’s also no shortage of talent returning to Columbus. The Buckeyes don’t need to look flawless—they just need to look tough enough to outlast the Longhorns in what feels like a playoff game in August.

    Final Thoughts

    Ohio State vs. Texas is the type of matchup fans dream about. Two blue blood programs, two young star quarterbacks, and enough storylines to fill an entire season. For Ohio State, it’s about answering questions, setting the tone, and—most importantly—coming out 1 point better than the Longhorns.

    Buckle up, Buckeye Nation. It’s (almost) go time.

    Recap: Reds vs. D-backs 08/22/25

    By
    DatDudeDS
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    0

    After taking two of three from the Angels, the Reds send Zack Littell (9-8 3.52 ERA) to the mound for game one of three against Arizona. The Diamondbacks counter with Ryne Nelson (6-3 3.58 ERA) after taking two of three from Cleveland.

    Arizona 1-0 (Bottom 1st)

    Similarily to the series in Los Angeles, the Reds starter got hit for an early run tonight. Geraldo Perdomo drew a four pitch walk to leadoff the game, and two batters later Corbin Carroll singled to put runners on 1st and 3rd. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. then hit a sac fly to RF to make it 1-0. Littell was able to get out of the inning by striking out Pavin Smith, limiting the damage to one run.

    Cincinnati 2-1(Top 2nd)

    The Reds didn’t let Arizona have the lead for long. Nelson walked Noelvi Marte, and got Spencer Steer to flyout before before Ke’Bryan Hayes strolled to the plate. Hayes hit a missile to left CF that drove Marte in from 1st. Jose Trevino then singled through a drawn in infield to make it 2-0. Nelson was able to work out of further trouble but not before the Reds grabbed an early lead.

    Arizona 4-2 (Bottom 3rd)

    After working around a bases loaded jam in the 2nd, he got burnt in the 3rd. Gabriel Moreno hit a drive to LF and gave the D-backs the lead back 4-2. TJ Friedl made a diving catch in CF to end the 3rd and keep the deficit at two.

    Tie 4-4 (Top 8th)

    After not doing much since the 2nd, Cincinnati’s offense got a little boost from it’s best player. Elly De La Cruz lead off the 6th with a triple, coming in to score on an Austin Hays groundout. This made the score 4-3. Cincinnati’s pitching kept the Diamondbacks in check until the 8th when Miguel Andujar would hit a pinch-hit double, and Elly then drove him in with a single to RF. And despite Diamondback pitching retiring 20 out of 23 batters, the Reds forced extras in Arizona.

    Cincinnati 5-4 (Top 10th)

    In the 10th, Cincinnati took advantage of a huge D-back error to grab the lead. Reliever John Curtiss fielded a Trevino bunt and threw it over the 1st basemans head to allow Hayes to score. Curtiss would get some help from Corbin Carroll to nab Trevino at home to get out of the inning with no further damage.

    Tie 5-5 (Bottom 10th)

    These snakes just won’t go away! They followed a similar gameplan as the Reds, sac bunting to 3rd, then Ketel Marte won a 13 pitch battle to drive in the tying run. They would get no more runs, leading us to a second game going 11 innings in a week.

    Arizona (6-5 Final/11)

    It would go no further than 11, as Arizona got Andujar to ground out and then Friedl would get doubled off on a soft liner to SS to end the top half of the 11th. Arizona would then walkoff on a Gurriel Jr. single to bring Carroll in and win the game.

    The bullpen pitched their asses off and kept the Reds in the game tonight. Elly was the only Red with multiple hits, as the offense had another night in which it seemed lifeless. Tomorrow night we will see Andrew Abbott attempt to right the ship for Cincinnati against Nabil Crismatt.

    Win: Jalen Beeks (4-1 4.07 ERA)

    Loss: Scott Barlow (6-2 3.47 ERA)

    Recap: Reds vs. Angels 08/20/25

    By
    DatDudeDS
    -
    0

    Looking to finish the sweep against the Angels, Cincinnati gives the ball to Nick Martinez (10-9 4.73 ERA) Los Angeles looks to Yusei Kikuchi (6-8 3.52 ERA) to try and salvage a win.

    Cincinnati 1-0 (Top 3rd)

    The Reds had runners on first and third, nobody out in the 2nd inning but came away with nothing. In the 3rd, trade acquisition Ke’Bryan Hayes hit a leadoff double to LF but it looked like he too would be stranded. The next two hitters both struckout before new #2 hitter Noelvi Marte came up and singled to LF to drive Hayes in and give the Reds an early lead.

    Tied 1-1 (Bottom 4th)

    The Reds’ lead didn’t last long, with Yoan Moncada hitting a solo HR to CF. It was all the Angels got in the inning, but it was enough to tie it up at one.

    Martinez saw what Brady Singer and Hunter Greene did the last couple nights and decided he would have the best performance of the three. He went 6 innings of one run ball, striking out 7 while alowing only 2 hits and 1 walk.

    2-1 Los Angeles (Bottom 8th)

    After Scott Barlow pitched a scoreless 7th, Graham Ashcraft came in to face 9-1-2 in the Angels lineup. A leadoff double to Bryce Teodosio and then a wild pitch allowed him to get to 3rd. After getting a weak groundout, Luis Rengifo hit a soft flare over Hayes at 3B to score Teodosio. But the trouble didn’t end there for Ashcraft. Mike Trout singled and Taylor Ward drew a walk to load the bases. He was able to get Moncada to ground out before Terry Francona brought in Brent Suter. Suter was able to strikeout Jo Adell to leave the bases loaded and deficit at just 1.

    Luis Garcia was summoned from the Angel bullpen and struck out Miguel Andujar for out number one. Austin Hays flew out to RF and Spencer Steer would ground out to 3B to end the game. Cincinnati was unable to muster much offense and wasted a very good outing from Nick Martinez. It was still a successful start to the nine game roadtrip, and the Reds will look to Zach Littell to get back in the win column Friday in Phoenix.

    Win: Reid Detmers (4-3 4.26 ERA)

    Loss: Graham Ashcraft (7-5 3.86 ERA)

    Save: Luis Garcia (1)

    Recap: Reds vs. Angels 08/18/25

    By
    DatDudeDS
    -
    0

    Trying to build off the walkoff win against the Brewers yesterday, Cincinnati turns to Brady Singer (10-9 4.31 ERA) The Angels counter with Victor Mederos (0-0 5.63 ERA) making his second major league start. The Reds are looking to make up .5 game against the idle Mets in the WC race.

    2-0 Cincinnati (Top 1st)

    It was a fast start for the Reds on the west coast! TJ Friedl singled to lead off the game before Gavin Lux smashed a 2-run HR to give Cincy a 2-0 lead. The Reds put more pressure on Mederos, getting runners on 1st and 3rd before Mederos was able to escape trouble.

    2-1 Cincinnati (Bottom 1st)

    Los Angeles would cut the lead in half after a couple hits from the top of the Angel lineup. Nolan Schanuel singled, Mike Trout worked a walk and Taylor Ward doubled down the RF line to make it 1-0. Spencer Steer then made a great play to double off Neto on a line drive from Yoan Moncada to get out of trouble.

    3-1 Cincinnati (Top 5th)

    After a couple quick innings, highlighted by a couple Ke’Bryan Hayes webgems, Elly De La Cruz got the Reds rolling again. He smoked a triple down the RF line to leadoff the top of the 5th. Austin Hays made LA pay immediately with a sac fly to RF to make it 3-1. Trying to add to the lead, Noelvi Marte, Spencer Steer and Jose Trevino would all single to load the bases. However, consecutive popups from Hayes and Matt McLain would strand all three.

    4-1 Cincinnati (Top 8th)

    McLain would get a little revenge in the 8th, driving in Hayes on a sac fly. McLain was able to do so because of some suspect defense in CF by Luis Rengifo, who misplayed a Hayes ball hit right to him allowing Hayes a leadoff triple.

    4-1 Cincinnati (Final)

    It was a tale of two different defensive nights on Monday night. The Reds made several highlight plays while the Angels made several critical gaffes. Ke’Bryan Hayes was the standout, making 2 amazing plays at 3B, but several other Reds had key plays to stop Angel rallies. Scott Barlow came in and got a four out save, and the Reds made it two wins in a row. They climb up to just a single game back of the Mets and keep some momentum from the Milwaukee win.

    Win: Brady Singer (11-9 4.18 ERA)

    Loss: Victor Mederos (0-1 5.54 ERA)

    Save: Scott Barlow (Save #1)

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