CINCINNATI – There were times in the 2025 season, as the Reds offense sputtered in streaks, where it was easy to wonder what the club could have done if it had one big game-changing bat in the heart of the lineup.
With
After being kept scoreless by Red Sox lefty starter Connelly Early into the sixth inning, the Reds perked up after
It was Suárez's 190th homer for the franchise that he also played for from 2015-21.\n\n“I think he’s happy to be here. We’re thrilled to have him,\" Francona said. \"He lifts everybody up. I think we already had a great group. But he adds a lot.”\n\nEntering the plate appearance, Suárez was 1-for-11 this season with five strikeouts. That included a deep drive to the center-field wall for a fly out in his previous at-bat in the fourth inning - which was also scorched at 109.4 mph.\n\n“The previous one, I hit it hard, too high a little bit and then I got the good one,\" Suárez said. “They’ve been throwing me a lot of fastballs and I was late the previous two games. I missed so many but today was different. I try to make my adjustment. I kind of knew they’re going to attack me with a fastball and be ready for that one. Don’t let it beat me and today was better, a lot better.”\n\nSuárez not only improved the offense with his bat, but with his presence in the lineup as well when he signed a one-year, $15 million contract on Feb. 3. Batting cleanup, the rookie Stewart was on base all four times he hit in front of Suárez on Sunday, and he his batting .700 through three games. At 22 years and 112 days old, Stewart has reached base 10 times. Since 1900, only Jim Fregosi (1964) and Barney McCosky (1939) reached 10 times in the first three team games at a younger age.
The only Cincinnati player to do it at any age was