Cleveland Guardians at Cincinnati Reds Game 1

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
CLE	4	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	6	9	0
CIN	0	0	1	4	0	0	0	0	0	5	11	1

Slade Cecconi (4-7, 4.71 ERA) got the ball for Cleveland looking to snap that skid, while Cincinnati countered with its ace, Chase Burns, who came in 12-1 with a 2.34 ERA and hadn't allowed an earned run in his last start. First pitch went off at 1:40 PM ET in a doubleheader opener that only existed because Monday's game got rained out.

Bush’s PicksPicks madeJul 28, 4:07 PM CT

CLE✗CIN-157

CLECIN+123

OverUnder+115

Best BetReds✗

Postgame

Burns and the Reds got jumped early by Manzardo's grand slam and never recovered, so the home moneyline pick missed.

Pregame

Burns' arm and the Reds' recent form made Cincinnati the play at home, with the price implying a heavy favorite off a dominant last outing. Cleveland's lineup had been ice cold, and betting against Burns felt like fading the wrong horse.

Guardians

• +Manzardo's slam sparked a big early lead
• +Found a way to win a tight, close game
• −Entered on a 5-game losing streak
• −Shut out in 2 of last 4 games before this

Reds

• +Burns entered 12-1 with a 2.34 ERA
• +Won 3 of last 5 games coming in
• −Five key players out: Lodolo, McLain, Steer, Santillan, Dunn
• −Bottom of NL Central, reportedly bracing to sell

Burns had been nearly untouchable for two months, but he ran into a buzzsaw early. Kyle Manzardo turned around a first-inning pitch for his first career grand slam, and just like that Cleveland had a 4-0 lead before the Reds' lineup even got comfortable. The Reds are already thin up the middle and on the mound with Nick Lodolo, Matt McLain, Spencer Steer, Tony Santillan and Blake Dunn all out, so an early hole against a shorthanded roster is the last thing Cincinnati wanted.

Slade Cecconi

(4-7)·4.71 ERA

Jul 22 vs Twins

L

4.2IP

3ER

5K

3BB

88P

Chase Burns

(12-1)·2.34 ERA

Jul 21 @ Mariners

W

5.0IP

0ER

6K

2BB

91P

Cincinnati didn't fold. Cam Stewart's third-inning homer trimmed it to 4-1, and Cecconi's well-documented hard-contact issues caught up with him when the Reds strung together four runs in the fourth to flip the score to 5-4. That kind of response from a last-place team says something about the fight still in that clubhouse, even amid a lost season and a trade deadline approaching.

Cleveland answered right back. The Guardians scratched across a run in the fifth to tie it, then Chase DeLauter came around to score the go-ahead run in the eighth on a Brent Rocchio sacrifice bunt. Holderman got the win out of the bullpen, Moll took the loss, and Smith slammed the door for the save, capping a game the Guardians desperately needed after being outscored 15-4 during their skid.

Cleveland Guardians

(54-53)

Jul 27P@ Reds0-0

Jul 26L@ Rays0-1

Jul 25L@ Rays0-3

Jul 24L@ Rays3-11

Jul 23Lvs Twins1-3

Cincinnati Reds

(49-55)

Jul 27Pvs Guardians0-0

Jul 26W@ Cardinals5-3

Jul 25L@ Cardinals0-7

Jul 25W@ Cardinals4-2

Jul 22W@ Mariners5-3

Burns is still the far better arm on paper and it wasn't really his fault — his defense and offense didn't back him early, and one bad frame against a hot lineup doesn't erase a 2.34 ERA. But this loss stings for a Reds team that's already fighting from behind in the standings and now has to piece together innings around a rotation and lineup missing five regulars.

Cleveland Guardians

(1)

• 15-Day-ILShawn Armstrong RP — The Guardians reinstated Armstrong (groin) from the 15-day injured list Monday.

Cincinnati Reds

(7)

• 10-Day-ILMatt McLain 2B — Reds manager Terry Francona said Monday that McLain (calf) will stay with Triple-A Louisville on a rehab assignment to begin the week, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.
• 10-Day-ILSpencer Steer 1B — Steer will wear a splint for the next two weeks after being diagnosed with a partial tear of the tendon sheath in his right wrist, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.
• 10-Day-ILBlake Dunn CF — Dunn (elbow) suffered a setback prior to being sent on a rehab assignment, MLB.com reports.
• 15-Day-ILNick Lodolo SP — Lodolo (finger) threw a bullpen session Sunday, MLB.com reports.
• 15-Day-ILTony Santillan RP — Santillan (oblique) threw out to 75 feet Friday and experienced no discomfort, MLB.com reports.
• 60-Day-ILBrandon Williamson SP — Williamson (shoulder) is scheduled to face hitters Wednesday, MLB.com reports.
• 60-Day-ILGraham Ashcraft RP — Ashcraft (elbow) is on a throwing program, which will have him throw from 105 feet beginning July 20 at the Reds' training facility in Arizona, MLB.com reports.

For Cleveland, the win matters beyond the standings math. Manzardo's slam was the kind of moment a slumping lineup needed to remember it can still do damage, and grinding out the tying and go-ahead runs late against a top-flight starter is exactly the type of game a team points to when trying to turn a season around.