Myers' RBI single in 9th and strong bullpen outing lift Reds past Twins 5-4

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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Dane Myers had an RBI single in the ninth inning and the Cincinnati Reds scored the game’s final three runs to beat the Minnesota Twins 5-4 Saturday.

Cincinnati’s bullpen tossed 4 1/3 innings of scoreless relief with Kyle Nicolas (1-0) striking out the side in the eighth before Tony Santillan struck out two in a clean ninth for his first save.

Pinch-hitter Spencer Steer opened the ninth by reaching on a single that deflected off the glove of Twins’ shortstop Brooks Lee. Sacrificed to second base, Steer scored on a bloop single by Myers off Cole Sands (0-1).

Cincinnati is 10-0 in games decided by fewer than three runs, tied for the second-longest stretch (Boston 1946, Cleveland 1966) to open an MLB season. Milwaukee was 12-0 in 1987. The Reds are 6-0 in one-run games.

The Reds' bullpen, which tossed 3 2/3 scoreless innings in Friday’s 2-1 win, has a MLB-leading 2.31 ERA.

Eugenio Suárez scored on a sacrifice fly by Rece Hinds to tie the game at 4 in the eighth.

A Ryan Jeffers two-run triple, his first three-base hit since Sept. 24, 2023, gave the Twins an 2-0 first-inning lead and Brooks Lee’s RBI single made it 4-2 Twins in the fifth, but Sam Moll struck out Tristan Gray with the bases loaded.

Minnesota, which entered the game second in the majors hitting .306 with runners in scoring position, finished 3 for 15. Of its 11 runners left on base, eight were in scoring position.

Minnesota starter Taj Bradley allowed two earned runs in six innings and struck out five. Cincinnati starter Andrew Abbott allowed six hits and four runs, three earned, in 4 2/3 innings after allowing 13 earned runs in 14 innings over his prior three outings.

Reds RHP Brady Singer (1-1, 5.60) is scheduled to face Twins righty Bailey Ober (2-0, 5.49) on Sunday afternoon.

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