An Electric First Inning 
What an explosive start for our Reds! After a relatively quiet top of the 1st, our boys came out swinging. Jonathan India drew a walk to lead off, followed by walks from Elly De La Cruz and Tyler Stephenson to load the bases. TJ Friedl then hit a sacrifice fly to bring in India. Spencer Steer may have popped out, but Ty France delivered with an RBI single to bring home De La Cruz. With a 2-0 lead right out of the gate, we were pumped! 
Astros Strike Back 
The Astros managed to tie it back up in the 3rd inning. Jason Heyward walked, followed by a ground-rule double by Chas McCormick. Yainer Diaz then singled to bring both runners home. Our reliever, Sam Moll, came in and shut them down, but the damage was done. Tied at 2-2, it was a whole new ball game.The 5th Inning Rally 
The fifth inning was where we really showed the Astros what we're made of. After a quiet start to the inning, France and Jake Fraley set the stage with some big hits. Then Santiago Espinal, with ice in his veins, stroked a clutch single to bring in France and Fraley! An extra insurance run from Amed Rosario made it 5-2. What an inning!Astros Can't Close the Gap 
Despite a valiant effort from Houston in the subsequent innings, they couldn't catch up. Diaz managed a sac fly in the 7th to bring in another run, but that was all they could muster. Our bullpen, featuring Emilio Pagán and Wilson, shut them down in the crucial moments. Nail-Biting 9th Inning 
The top of the 9th had us on the edge of our seats. Jason Heyward's single followed by Chas McCormick’s sac bunt put a runner in scoring position. With two outs, Andrew Wilson came in to save the game. Despite Houston's attempts to rattle him, he got Yordan Alvarez to line out to center, sealing our victory and sending Reds fans into a frenzy! 
Final Thoughts
What a game to be a Reds fan! A mix of solid hitting, disciplined batting, and clutch pitching secured our 5-3 win over the Astros. Let's keep this momentum going! Go Reds!
Scoreboard for Astros @ Reds (September 2nd, 2024)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 13 | 1 |
| 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 0 |