By MIKE ROBERTS
Overall, the Cincinnati Reds played good baseball this past week. Man, it’s refreshing to say that after the last month! After losing two out of three against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Reds managed to snap a five-series losing streak by winning two of three against the Mets. At 35-38 as of Thursday’s off day, the Reds remain in last place in the National League Central, but they can still find a way to be a playoff squad again.
Here are five key takeaways from this past week/
Noelvi Marte’s Redemption
It has been an interesting year for Noelvi Marte (.203 AVG, .627 OPS, 3 HR, 3 RBI, 4 SB). The 24-year-old got off to a brutal start this season, hitting only .138 (4-for-29) in his first 11 games, and as a result, he got sent down to Triple-A. Marte got hit during his 40-game stint in the minors, hitting .369 and eight home runs with the Louisville Bats, and was recalled June 3 by the Reds.
Marte homered in all three games against the Diamondbacks this past week. His homer on Friday was his first since Sept. 24, 2025. He was instrumental in Cincy’s 2-1 win over Arizona on Saturday, smacking a go-ahead homer during the eighth inning. Welcome back to The Show, Noelvi!
Lowder Back to Normal
Marte wasn’t the only one responsible for Saturday’s win. Reds starting pitcher Rhett Lowder (3-3, 4.60 ERA, 1.43 WHIP) turned in one of his best performances of the year, allowing only five hits with two walks and one run while striking out six. Lowder, who missed close to a month due to a shoulder injury, hadn’t been himself since his return from the injured list. It will be interesting to see how he performed in his next start: Friday, in the opener of a three-game road series against the Yankees.
A 12-0 Blowout Win
Nothing like a blowout victory to make a fanbase happy. On Monday, Cincinnati simply annihilated the Mets 12-0 at Great American Ball Park. It was the Reds’ fifth shutout win this season and their most lopsided shutout since April 15, 2023, when they smoked the Philadelphia Phillies 13-0. It was also the Reds’ biggest shutout ever against the Mets, with the previous best an 8-0 victory back on August 26, 1979, in New York.
Cincinnati isn’t known for scoring a bunch of runs,; it ranks 19th in the league this year. But, coming up with 12 runs in a single game shows that the team is capable of going off.
Suarez’ Power
During the offseason, the Reds signed slugger Eugenio Suarez (.217 AVG, .666 OPS, 7 HR, 25 RBI, 0 SB) to a one-year, $15 million contract, hoping he’d add some much-needed power to the lineup. And that’s exactly what he did in the 12-0 win over the Mets, homering twice (including a grand slam) and driving in a career-high six runs. He’s due for a hot streak. Entering the series at the Yankees, Suarez was hitting .209 with a .661 OPS, five home runs, and 17 RBIs. He’s hit three homers with eight RBIs in the past seven games.
Feel the Burns
Another week, another fantastic outing from Chase Burns (8-1, 2.01 ERA, 1.02 WHIP). The former first-round pick pitched five scoreless innings in Monday’s victory over the Mets, allowing just four hits and three walks while recording seven strikeouts, including K’s on six of the first seven hitters he faced.
Burns has been incredible this season for the Reds. He has allowed two or fewer runs in 11 consecutive starts, which is the second-best streak in franchise history. Back in 2008, Edinson Volquez gave up two runs or fewer in 12 straight starts. If Burns keeps it up, he could certainly earn a spot on the National League All-Star team this year.
Looking Ahead
After the three-game set at Yankee Stadium starting Friday, the Reds return home for a three-game series against the NL Central leading Milwaukee Brewers, beginning on Monday.
Here’s a look at the upcoming schedule, including TV information and probable pitchers:
Friday, 6/19: 7:05 PM, Reds.TV/MLB.TV, Rhett Lowder (CIN) (3-3, 4.60 ERA, 1.43 WHIP) vs. TBD (NYY)
Saturday, 6/20: 1:35 PM, Reds.TV/MLB.TV, Andrew Abbott (CIN) (4-4, 3.95 ERA, 1.41 WHIP) vs. TBD (NYY)
Sunday, 6/21: 1:35 PM, Reds.TV/MLB.TV, Chase Burns (CIN) (7-1, 2.14 ERA, 0.99 WHIP) vs. TBD (NYY)
Monday, 6/22: 7:10 PM, Reds.TV/MLB.TV, TBD (MIL) vs. TBD (CIN)
Tuesday, 6/23: 7:10 PM, Reds.TV/MLB.TV, TBD (MIL) vs. TBD (CIN)
Wednesday, 6/24: 7:10 PM, Reds.TV/MLB.TV, TBD (MIL) vs. TBD (CIN)