Reds' Terry Francona Makes Morbid Admission About Brewers Series

The Milwaukee Brewers and Cincinnati Reds played arguably the most riveting series of the Major League Baseball season over the weekend.

Each of the three games at Great American Ball Park was an all-out war. The Brewers erased an 8-1 deficit to win the opener, rallied in the ninth and 10th innings for a 6-5 win in game two, then had the script flipped as the Reds stole a 3-2 comeback win in the Sunday finale.

The Brewers' 14-game winning streak may have been broken, but they let the entire league know that no defeat would ever come easy. And the Reds' legendary manager was relieved to see his division rivals on their way out of Cincinnati.

Terry Francona talks riveting Brewers series

Aug 17, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Teammates celebrate after Cincinnati Reds designated hitter Austin Hays (12) hits a walk-off single in the tenth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Terry Francona, the three-time American League Manager of the Year and two-time World Series champion, returned from a one-year retirement to manage a young Reds team this season. Coming into the weekend, the Reds trailed the New York Mets by only half a game for the third and final wild card spot in the National League.

Francona's Reds put up a good fight all weekend, but they ultimately lost ground in the standings. And each game was so riveting that Francona joked about Sunday's game affecting his life expectancy after both teams put up runs in the ninth inning.

“Oh, you don’t want to know (what I was thinking in the ninth),” Francona said, per Mike Petraglia of MLB.com. “The whole series was like (that). I don’t know if I have years left, but whatever I have, it took some off.”

William Contreras homered to give the Brewers a 2-1 lead in the top of that ninth inning, but the Reds got a game-tying single from catcher Jose Trevino before walking it off in the 10th on an Austin Hays base knock.

Francona, 66, has dealt with numerous health issues over the years, but he's never been afraid to make light of them. After taking a year's respite, the longtime skipper felt like he was healthy enough to manage again, and the Reds' dynamic roster clearly intrigued him.

The Brewers now hold a nine-game lead on the second-place Chicago Cubs, and a 14-game lead over the Reds. The two teams will face each other for one more series in Milwaukee to conclude the regular season.

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