Reds top Rockies 4-2 on July 13 as manager Terry Francona gets his historic 2,000th career win. TJ Friedl's big day sends Cincy to the break on a high.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
As the final out settled into a glove at Great American Ball Park, it wasn't just another win. It was history. The Cincinnati Reds defeated the Colorado Rockies 4-2 to close out the first half of the season, but the real celebration was for the man in the dugout. With the victory, manager Terry 'Tito' Francona notched his 2,000th career win, a monumental achievement that sends the team into the All-Star break with a surge of momentum and a 50-47 record.
It’s a privilege to be part of this group, but I’m just happy for the guys and the way we finished the first half.
The Reds didn't wait long to get the offense going for their skipper. TJ Friedl, who was a sparkplug all afternoon, blasted a leadoff home run to ignite the GABP crowd. After the Rockies tied it, the Reds manufactured runs with their signature hustle. Friedl scored his third run of the day in the fifth after Noelvi Marte reached on an error, and the ever-electric Elly De La Cruz added a double in the seventh, later scoring on a Spencer Steer RBI single for a key insurance run. On the mound, Nick Martinez delivered a solid performance, going 5 1/3 innings and allowing just two runs to earn the well-deserved win.
The win etched Francona's name alongside baseball royalty. He becomes just the 13th manager in MLB history to reach 2,000 wins, joining an exclusive club that includes fellow Reds legends Sparky Anderson and Dusty Baker. The only other active manager on the list is Bruce Bochy. Social media erupted with congratulations, and videos from the clubhouse showed a team genuinely thrilled for their leader. True to form, Francona deflected the praise, emphasizing his pride in the team's performance heading into the break. It’s this team-first mentality that has defined his legendary career.
The success in Cincinnati isn't just confined to the big-league club. Down on the farm, the Triple-A Louisville Bats snapped a losing streak with a 7-2 victory, powered by Francisco Urbaez, Will Banfield, and Blake Dunn. More importantly, the organizational health is robust. The latest MLB Pipeline rankings feature five Reds prospects in the overall Top 100: Chase Burns, Rhett Lowder, Sal Stewart, Cam Collier, and Edwin Arroyo. With Burns and Lowder already contributing in the majors, and Stewart and Collier knocking on the door at Double-A, the pipeline is primed to keep the Reds competitive for years to come.
With a historic milestone in the books and a winning record secured, the Reds head into the All-Star break with everything to play for. The rest will be well-deserved, but you can bet this team is already looking ahead to the second-half push. If the first 97 games are any indication, the ride is just getting started. Rest up, Reds Country, the chase for October is about to heat up.
