Unlikely Hero Emerges for Reds After Last-Minute Lineup Change

The rally Reds were back on Friday night and Cincinnati improved to 17-9 on the season and 11-0 in games decided by two runs or less.

Matt McLain played a huge part in Friday's win with his first career two-home run game. However, there was an unlikely hero who wasn't even supposed to be in the game. That hero was Nathaniel Lowe.

Just ahead of Friday's game, the Reds announced that Eugenio Suarez was scratched from the lineup due to what we now know as an oblique strain. Reds manager Terry Francona provided an update after the game.

"So he was taking batting practice today and he felt his side," Francona said. "He took his last swing and me and Freddie were talking to him like, man, he didn't think it was anything. And we said, 'let's just get you looked at before we turn you loose.' And then when the doctor saw him, he was like, 'man, I don't know.' So we went and got an MRI and he's got a low-grade oblique."

With Suarez out, Lowe was placed in the lineup for him, despite there being a left-handed pitcher on the mound.

The 30-year-old responded in a big way.

In the bottom of the sixth inning with the Reds trailing 5-2, Lowe took a 2-1 splitter that hung over the plate deep into the right field seats. The ball was hit at 112.7 mph and it was Lowe's hardest hit ball since 2022.

Then, in the ninth inning, with nobody on and two outs and the Reds trailing 8-7, Spencer Steer singled to give the Reds life. After fouling off a pitch that caught a lot of the plate, Lowe got a sinker up in the zone from Kenley Jansen and he did not miss it. Lowe sent a towering drive into the right field seats for his second home run of the game, lifting the Reds to a 9-8 win.

After the game, Lowe spoke to Jim Day on the field.

"You just got to get something to hit and thankfully I got it right there," Lowe said. "This group should believe in each other. We are definitely in position to make something happen. I know it's early, but it's an exciting moment."

Reds manager Terry Francona had high praise for Lowe and mentioned how good Jansen has been against lefties this season.

"Lowe had a already taken one really pretty swing in the game," Francona said. "Jansen has been carving up lefties though. And he got a cutter, and because of that, we get to go home happy."

Elly De La Cruz and Will Benson snuck up on Lowe to give him a Gatorade bath.

"It's so special," Lowe said. "What a great moment and I am so happy to be apart of it."

With Suarez headed to the injured list, Lowe is expected to see a lot more playing time going forward.

You can watch Lowe's full post game interview with Day below:

Add us as a preferred source on Google