The Cincinnati Reds extended the majors' longest active winning streak on Wednesday, defeating the Colorado Rockies by a 5-3 final (box score). The Reds have now won 11 consecutive, a stretch that has catapulted them into first place in the National League Central and positioned them as deadline buyers. (Major League Baseball's trade deadline falls on Aug. 1 this year.)
The Reds fell behind early on Wednesday, entering the bottom of the fifth inning trailing 3-0. From that point forward, Cincinnati took over. Catcher Luke Maile drove in a pair of runs with a two-run single and center fielder TJ Friedl plated the equalizer with a single of his own. The Reds would later score a pair of runs in the eighth inning on a Jake Fraley home run that made it 5-3. Take a look at the pretty moving pictures:
RAKED.
— Bally Sports Cincinnati (@BallySportsCIN) June 21, 2023
Jake Fraley blisters a home run to right field and the @Reds have scored five unanswered to take the lead! This team doesn't quit! pic.twitter.com/0OhkNoBZwy
Obviously neither team would score the rest of the way.
Rookie left-hander Andrew Abbott made his fourth big-league start. It was the first time he surrendered any runs, as he'd opened his career with 17 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings. Even so, Abbott finished Wednesday's outing with a final line of six innings, three runs, four hits, no walks, and 10 strikeouts. His seasonal ERA through 23 2/3 innings is now 1.14.
Cincinnati's other hot-performing rookie, shortstop Elly De La Cruz, notched two hits, including his fourth double. De La Cruz had a massive night on Tuesday, coming up just a triple short of the cycle.
The Reds will have Thursday off before hosting the Atlanta Braves over the weekend. It may have read odd as recently as two weeks ago -- the Reds were 26-29 entering June -- but that matchup now looms as a potential postseason preview.
