Story of the Day

Reds edge Red Sox 6-5 in 11 innings as Myers’ walk-off caps back-and-forth game

AuthorEditorial Team

Published

March 28, 2026/08:11 PM

Section

Sport

Reds edge Red Sox 6-5 in 11 innings as Myers’ walk-off caps back-and-forth game — Source: Wikimedia Commons / Author: Rick Dikeman

Late swings and a decisive 11th inning settle series’ second game in Cincinnati

The Cincinnati Reds defeated the Boston Red Sox 6-5 in 11 innings on Saturday, March 28, 2026, at Great American Ball Park, evening the early-season series at one win apiece. The game featured multiple lead changes, a ninth-inning tie, and a walk-off single that ended it in extra innings.

Boston finished with five runs on eight hits and one error. Cincinnati scored six runs on 10 hits and played error-free defense. The result dropped the Red Sox to 1-1 and lifted the Reds to 1-1.

How the scoring unfolded

First inning: Cincinnati struck first with two runs. A run-scoring single brought home TJ Friedl, and a fielder’s-choice grounder added a second run when Matt McLain scored.
Early middle innings: Boston moved in front in the fourth, taking advantage of a wild pitch that allowed Ceddanne Rafaela to score, tightening what had been a multi-run deficit.
Fifth inning: Elly De La Cruz extended the Reds’ advantage with a solo home run to right field, pushing Cincinnati’s lead to 5-3.
Seventh inning: Wilyer Abreu’s RBI double brought Boston within one.
Ninth inning: Abreu tied the game with a solo home run to right, making it 5-5 and sending the contest to extra innings.
Eleventh inning: Dane Myers singled to left to score a designated runner from third, ending the game 6-5.

Key individual performances

Boston’s offense was anchored by Abreu, who delivered two run-scoring hits late: an RBI double in the seventh and a game-tying home run in the ninth. Trevor Story also homered for the Red Sox, while Roman Anthony drove in a run despite Boston’s limited hit total.

For Cincinnati, the early two-run first inning set the tone, and De La Cruz’s home run provided crucial separation in the fifth. The decisive moment came in the 11th, when Myers’ single finished a one-run game that had tightened late.

What it means next

With the series tied 1-1, the teams were set to play again Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Cincinnati. Saturday’s extra-inning outcome underscored a theme that often defines early-season play: a premium on late execution, where one swing can erase a deficit—and one well-placed hit can end it.

Final score: Reds 6, Red Sox 5 (11 innings).