Reds feel the tide turning after clinching series win in Bronx

NEW YORK — When Reds reliever Fernando Cruz summed up his own feelings on Wednesday night, he could have been talking about the vibe the entire team felt.

“The best feeling in the world — shutting down the Yankees,” Cruz said as he dressed at his locker following a tight, 3-2 victory before a sold-out crowd at Yankee Stadium.

With back-to-back one-run wins at New York, the Reds have already taken the three-game series and snapped a winless streak that stretched over the six previous series. It’s also the first time they’ve won two games in a row since June 12 and 14.

“If we were sleeping, this will lift us up in a way I cannot describe,” Cruz said. “We’re firing up right now. I remember last year, we had a series in Houston [a three-game sweep June 16-18, 2023], and that series took us to what we did last year. I think this is the series that is taking us to where we need to be and put us in position to be in a pennant race realistically.”

Cincinnati took a 2-0 lead in the second inning when Noelvi Marte snapped a 0-for-16 slump by pulling Carlos Rodón’s 0-1 pitch to left field for a two-run home run. Stuart Fairchild made it a three-run lead with a leadoff homer in the fifth.

Starter Andrew Abbott took a shutout into the seventh inning but was lifted following Jahmai Jones’ one-out double. Cruz walked pinch-hitter Austin Wells before Anthony Volpe drove a two-run double through the gap in left-center field.

The faith was rewarded when Cruz induced Judge to swing at a first-pitch fastball and got a ground ball to third base for an inning-ending double play.

After a wild pitch sent Volpe to third, Cruz walked Juan Soto to bring up Aaron Judge with runners on the corners and one out. Even with a base open, the Reds opted not to intentionally walk one of baseball’s most fearsome hitters.

Reds manager David Bell did give the idea some consideration.

“You have to get outs. You have to trust our guys,” Bell said. “They believe they can get outs, and that’s really important. The situation called for taking our best shot at it.”

“He’s the best hitter in the world. There’s no better way to compete than getting him to hit into a double play with a game like that,” Cruz said. “I’ve received the best confidence from the coaching staff, from the organization, to be able to have the game put into my hands for those situations. I was expecting just what happened.”

The Reds also won series earlier this season vs. top-flight clubs like the Dodgers and Phillies, but they were unable to sustain momentum. By beating another contending team in the Yankees, Cincinnati is assured of a winning seven-game road trip through St. Louis and New York.

“We still have to come ready to play tomorrow,” said Abbott, who allowed one run, three hits and four walks over 6 1/3 innings. “We still have to handle everybody else just like we’re handling these past two games. It’s no different in MLB. We expect to win.”

What the 41-45 Reds do in their next stretch of games could potentially dictate how they handle their business around the July 30 Trade Deadline.

Following the series finale Thursday, the Reds open a 10-game homestand at Great American Ball Park. All three teams they face — the Tigers and the last-place Rockies and Marlins — have poorer records than Cincinnati’s.

The opportunity is once again there. Will this finally be the time they get liftoff?

“Let’s see how we play,” Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall said before Wednesday’s game. “Let’s have a good homestand after hopefully finishing off a good road trip. Hopefully, we’re getting back in it and making a push for the postseason.”

There are certainly needs to boost the offense, which has been shorthanded because of injuries and mired in inconsistent production. The Reds could get leadoff hitter TJ Friedl (right hamstring strain) back around the All-Star break. While the rotation has been on solid foundation, its best pitcher — Nick Lodolo — is due to return from the injured list on July 9 after dealing with a blister on his left index finger.

Krall would not commit to whether the Reds would be buyers or sellers at the Trade Deadline.

“We have to see how we play over the next few weeks. It’s going to determine where we are,” Krall said.