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Series Overview – Reds sweep, Sox slide to 14–30

Result: Reds take all three at Great American (6–2, 4–0, 10–5).

Run differential: Outscored 20–7.

Records: Sox fall to 14–30; Reds roll to 30–15.

The story of the set: early crooked numbers against the back of your rotation, too many long balls allowed, and an offense that only really showed up in the finale.

Game 1 – Reds 6, Sox 2 (5/13)

Early punch, not enough counter.

Mike Vasil actually settled in after the 3-run 1st (Elly 2-run shot, Candelario/Lux damage), finishing 5.2 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, 3 BB, 3 K – a “keep you in it” start.

Offense was basically two swings:

Miguel Vargas: long solo homer in the 3rd.

Andrew Benintendi: solo blast in the 6th.

The pen blinked: Jared Shuster got tagged for 3 ER in 2.0 IP, including a big Will Benson homer and more Steer/Lux damage.

Final: 6–2, Reds. You never got a runner past second after Beni’s homer.

Game 2 – Reds 4, Sox 0 (5/14)

Spencer Steer show; bats go quietly.

Germán Márquez ran into the same 1st-inning buzzsaw: Steer leadoff HR, traffic behind him, then another Steer bomb in the 2nd. Line: 4.0 IP, 4 ER, 7 H, 4 BB, 4 K.

Steer: 2 HR, 3 RBI, 3 R – he basically was their offense.

Andrew Abbott and two relievers handcuffed you: 7 hits, 0 walks, 7 K against the staff, but 0-for-7 with RISP.

You did run some: Robert, Vargas, Rojas, Maton all swiped bags, but there was no big swing to cash anything in.

First shutout loss of the series, 4–0.

Game 3 – Reds 10, Sox 5 (5/15)

Wild one: Greene’s gas, early avalanche, late fight.

Tyler Schweitzer never got comfortable: 1.2 IP, 5 ER, 5 H, including the back-breaking 2nd inning (Banfield RBI single, Steer double, then an Elly 2-run shot).

Jesse Scholtens did eat 4.1 IP, but gave up 3 ER as the Reds kept grinding.

Offensively, this was your best game:

Andrew Benintendi: 3-for-5, 2B, RBI, locked in all series.

Josh Rojas: 3-for-5, 2B, RBI, 2 R and a steal – spark plug.

Nick Maton: 3-for-5, 2 RBI, including an RBI knock in both the 4th and 8th.

Andre Lipcius: first big Sox moment – 2-for-4 with a 2-run homer off Hunter Greene.

You clawed back from 5–0 to 5–3 and later 8–4 and 10–5, but every time you scored, Cincinnati answered with another crooked inning.

Trends & Takeaways
Rotation / Pitching

First-inning problems:

Vasil: 3 in the 1st (Game 1)

Márquez: Steer HR + traffic in the 1st (Game 2)

Schweitzer: 5-run 2nd after a scoreless 1st (Game 3)
Against a lineup like this, playing from behind every night is brutal.

Homers allowed: Elly homered in Games 1 & 3, Steer twice in Game 2 and another big double in Game 1, Benson went deep in Game 1. The staff lived in the nitro zone.

Bullpen split personality:

When the leverage guys were on (Eisert, Gilbert in G2/G3), they looked fine.

Shuster’s two rough outings skewed things badly (HR and multiple extra-base hits allowed).

Lineup

Benintendi heating up: HR in Game 1, big solo shot in Game 2, 3-hit game with a double in Game 3. He’s quietly turning into your most reliable bat at the top.

New faces stepping up:

Andre Lipcius looked comfortable: HR and multiple RBI in the finale, plus good ABs all series.

Nick Maton sprayed line drives and played all over; good OBP and some gap pop.

Core bats scuffling:

Andrew Vaughn had a really rough trip (lots of strikeouts, little impact contact).

Luis Robert Jr. finally squared a ball up in Game 3 (laser double and a walk), but overall the series was light on loud contact from your franchise bat.

Running game is a weapon: Rojas, Robert, Vargas, Maton all stole bags; when you do get on, you’re creating pressure. The problem is simply getting on consistently.

Front-Office Moves (5/16)

Right after the series, you shook up the depth chart:

3B/UTIL Eguy Rosario – waiver claim from SD

Profile: 25-year-old right-handed infielder with above-average contact, sneaky pop, and legit infield defense.

Fit on your roster:

Can handle 2B/3B/SS with plus infield range and arm.

Bat looks like a solid “good role player”: some gap power, decent OBP skills, and enough pop to punish mistakes.

Impact: Gives you another option if Lipcius cools off, and some insurance for the Sosa/Rojas/Maton group. Also lets you mix-and-match lineups without sacrificing defense.

RHP Inohan Paniagua – acquired for Mike Tauchman (trade with STL)

Cost: You move Mike Tauchman – a nice bench OF and OBP piece, but a 34-year-old on an expiring deal – at a time when your corner-outfield depth is strong.

Return:

25-year-old right-handed starter, immediately one of your better pitching prospects.

Strong movement and command, four-pitch mix (fastball/slider/change/curve) and starter’s stamina.

Track record of success in the high minors; you’re sending him to AA Birmingham to keep him starting.

Big picture: Exactly the kind of move a 14–30 club should make – turning short-term role players into controllable upside arms.