TJ Friedl's clutch double leads the Reds to a 6-5 comeback win over the Twins on June 18, 2025. See how the gritty victory puts Cincy closer to a playoff spot.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
This is what winning baseball feels like in Cincinnati. Down but never out, the Reds clawed their way back once again on Wednesday night, snatching a 6-5 victory from the Minnesota Twins at Great American Ball Park. It was gritty, it was clutch, and it was their eighth win in the last eleven games, fueling a palpable sense of belief that this team is on the verge of something special.
With their win over the Twins, the Reds have now won eight of their last eleven games and are just two games back of the third National League wild-card spot.
The defining moment came in the bottom of the sixth inning. Trailing 5-4 with two outs, the stage was set for a hero, and TJ Friedl answered the call. Friedl ripped a go-ahead, two-run double that sent the GABP crowd into a frenzy and ultimately sealed the win. The rally was a full-team effort, with Will Benson contributing a crucial two-run double in the fourth and Jake Fraley adding a two-RBI single of his own. It was another display of the resilient, opportunistic offense that has defined this recent hot streak.
While the offense provided the late-game fireworks, starter Andrew Abbott was the steady hand that kept the Reds in the fight. His final line might look deceiving: six innings, five runs allowed. But a closer look reveals only one of those runs was earned, as defensive miscues allowed the Twins to rally. Abbott battled through the adversity, striking out five without issuing a single walk and lowering his season ERA to an incredible 1.84. His consistency is the bedrock of this rotation.
Once Abbott's night was done, the bullpen slammed the door shut. Scott Barlow was masterful, firing 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief with two strikeouts to earn his second win of the season. Then, in the ninth, it was Emilio Pagán's turn. He calmly worked a clean inning to lock down his 17th save of the year, cementing another victory for a relief corps that has been a major strength.
This win, their third straight, pushes the Reds to 39-35 and, more importantly, pulls them to within just two games of the third NL Wild Card spot. What felt like a distant dream a few weeks ago is now a tangible goal. The team is firing on all cylinders, and with a farm system ranked 11th in baseball by MLB Pipeline, featuring top prospects like Cam Collier, the future in Cincinnati looks as bright as the present.
With momentum squarely on their side and the wild-card race tightening, the Reds are no longer just a fun story; they're a legitimate threat. As they continue this series against the Twins and push towards the season's halfway point, every game feels bigger than the last. This team has found its fight, and the rest of the league is officially on notice.
