April 3, 2026<\/a><\/p>\nAll five Reds runs came via home runs. Texas led 3-2 when Elly De La Cruz came to bat leading off the sixth. He faked a bunt against the lefthanded Gore on the first pitch, then tied it on the next pitch with 385-foot line drive into the left field seats.<\/p>\n
It was the home opener for the Rangers and the Reds spoiled it for 37,638 fans.<\/p>\n
With Steer on second with no outs in the ninth, Stephenson said his mission was to get Steer to third. Instead he unloaded the home run and he screamed in delight all the way around the bases.<\/p>\n
\u201cSteer had a great at-bat leading off with the double,\u201d Stephenson told reporters after the game. \u201cI was just trying to do my job by getting him over (to third).<\/p>\n
\u201cI kinda laid off some good pitches and he finally made a mistake out over (the plate) and I was able to get it to right field. I didn\u2019t know if it would travel enough and we\u2019ll take a home run there. I was just trying to get a job done there.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Reds](\"data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAQAAAADCAQAAAAe\/WZNAAAAEElEQVR42mM8U88ABowYDABAxQPltt5zqAAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==\")
<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/69d043812742e.image.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Cincinnati Reds’ Tyler Stephenson reacts after hitting a two-run home run off Texas Rangers pitcher Chris Martin during the ninth inning of the Rangers’ home-opener baseball game Friday, April 3, 2026, in Arlington, Texas.<\/p>\n
Julio Cortez – AP<\/p>\n
Manager Tito Francona was outwardly not concerned about the early batting miseries of Steer and Stephenson.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s no fun living through it,\u201d he told reporters. \u201cThey don\u2019t like it, either. But I think you\u2019ll make some bad mistakes if you make some judgements too early on them because they\u2019re good players.\u201d<\/p>\n
Of Stephenon\u2019s eight-pitch at-bat, Francona said, \u201cWhat a good at-bat, because at worst he is trying to move the runner. Even when he got two strikes on him he kept that approach. He deserved it. That was a really good effort.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the pitching front, Brady Singer started for the Reds and gave up two runs on six hits over five-plus innings.<\/p>\n
He retired the first two in the second after Steer gave him a 2-0 lead, then he gave up four straight hits including a two-run double by number nine hitter Danny Jansen to tie it, 2-2.<\/p>\n
Left fielder Steer tried to make a sensational diving catch on Jansen, but the ball missed his glove by inches and skittered to the wall.\u00a0<\/p>\n
De La Cruz\u2019s home run in the top of the sixth gave the Reds a 3-2 lead, but when Texas\u2019 Jake Burke led the bottom of the sixth with a double, Singer\u2019s day was done. Sam Moll came in to clean it up with no runs.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe battled, he really battled,\u201d Francona told reporters about Singer\u2019s day. \u201cHe took a ball off the shin (in the fifth) and he is gonna be a little sore, but he was good against the lefties, because they had a bunch of \u2018em in there.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Rangers tied it, 3-3, in the seventh when Graham Ashcraft gave up a triple to Brandon Nimmo and a run-scoring double to Wyatt Langford that tied it with one out.<\/p>\n
Ashcraft then left the go-ahead run stranded on second when he struck out Corey Seager and coaxed a ground ball out of Jake Burger.<\/p>\n
Tony Santillan pitched a perfect eighth and Emilio Pagan, who has struggled in the early going, pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his second save.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/69d0437634ed2.image.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Emilio Pag\u00e1n, left, and catcher Tyler Stephenson react after their team defeated the Texas Rangers 5-3 during the Rangers’ home-opener baseball game Friday, April 3, 2026, in Arlington, Texas.<\/p>\n
Julio Cortez – AP<\/p>\n
Leadoff hitter TJ Friedl, off to a bad start, was given the day off and Matt McLain was slipped into the leadoff spot. He grounded out to open the game and was 0 for 12, but singled twice in his next three at-bats.<\/p>\n
Francona is not a huge fan of depending upon home run to win games, but wasn\u2019t ready to give back the three the Reds hit Friday.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur guys can hit as many as they want, believe me,\u201d he said. \u201cI do think when they are by-products of good at-bats, that\u2019s even more impressive.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Reds were on a two-game losing streak, dropping back-to-back 8-3 home games to the Pittsburgh Pirates.<\/p>\n
The 4-3 Reds have won those four games by 1, 1, 2 and 2 runs after winning close games was a problem last season.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re huge,\u201d said Stephenson about winning tight games. \u201cWe\u2019ll take every one we can get. Winning one-run and two-run games is huge and we can use these to build on.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/69d0437cdf778.image.jpg\")
<\/p>\n