“Players,” Votto said. “We have three position player rookies that are new to the team, that a lot of people are asking to be on the All-Star team.”
Matt McLain, Elly De La Cruz and Spencer Steer, not to mention starting pitcher Andrew Abbott, have propelled the Reds to the top of the National League Central Division standings. They won their 12th straight game Friday, 11-10 against the Atlanta Braves at Great American Ball Park, thanks in part to Elly De La Cruz hitting for the cycle.
The 12-game winning streak matches the Reds’ longest streaks of the modern era. They also won 12 games in a row in 1939 and 1957. No Reds team in the modern era has won more than 12 games in a row. The Reds won 14 games in a row in 1899 and 13 in a row in 1890.
The Reds and Braves continue their series at 4:10 p.m. Saturday.
Here’s a look back at the Reds’ 12-game streak:
No. 1, June 10
Score: Reds 8, Cardinals 4.
Key moment: The Reds took a 3-0 lead in the second inning when Luke Maile drove in three runs with a bases-loaded trip.
Star of the game: Abbott threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings in his second career start.
Standings: The Reds climbed within four games of the Pirates and Brewers, who were tied for first.
No. 2, June 11
Score: Reds 4, Cardinals 3.
Key moment: With the game tied in the eighth, De La Cruz walked, moved to second on a groundout by Steer and reached third on a passed ball. He then scored the go-ahead run on a fielder’s choice groundout to shortstop by Tyler Stephenson. The throw came home but was to the right of the plate. De La Cruz beat the tag with another headfirst slide.
Stars of the game: Relievers Ian Gibaut, Lucas Sims and Alexis Diaz combined to throw 3 2/3 scoreless innings.
Standings: The Reds stayed four games behind the Pirates but moved within three games of the Brewers.
No. 3, June 12
Score: Reds 5, Royals 4.
Key moment: TJ Friedl scored from third base on a groundout by Jonathan India in the 10th.
Star of the game: In his big-league debut, Ricky Karcher got the save with a scoreless 10th. stranding runners at second and third.
Standings: The Reds moved within 3½ games of the the Pirates and within two games of the Brewers.
No. 4, June 13
Score: Reds 5, Royals 4.
Key moments: Steer, Kevin Newman, Stuart Fairchild and Friedl all had RBI hits in the second inning as the Reds built a 5-0 lead.
Star of the game: Diaz pitched a perfect ninth for his 16th save.
Standings: The Reds cut the Pirates’ lead to two games and moved within 1½ games of the Brewers.
No. 5, June 14
Score: Reds 7, Royals 4.
Key moments: McLain hit a three-run home run in the fifth. Jonathan India followed with a solo home run. The Reds built a 7-1 lead.
Star of the game: McLain went 2-for-4, raising his average to .328.
Standings: The Reds cut the Pirates’ lead to 1½ games and moved within a half game of the Brewers.
No. 6, June 16
Score: Reds 2, Astros 1.
Key moments: Stephenson broke a scoreless tie with a home run in the seventh. Newman’s double later in the inning scored Will Benson to give the Reds a 2-0 lead.
Star of the game: Abbott threw six scoreless innings to improve to 3-0.
Standings: The Reds moved into a tie for second place with the Pirates, who lost their fourth straight game. They both trailed the Brewers by a half game.
No. 7, June 17
Score: Reds 10, Astros 3.
Key moment: India hit a two-run home run in the first inning, and the Reds had the lead the rest of the game.
Star of the game: Benson went 3-for-3 with two RBIs.
Standings: The Reds stayed a half game behind the Brewers.
No. 8, June 18
Score: Reds 9, Astros 7.
Key moment: Friedl, De La Cruz and Jake Fraley all drove in runs in the 10th inning to give the Reds a cushion.
Star of the game: Fraley went 2-for-4 with three RBIs.
Standings: The Reds stayed a half game behind the Brewers.
No. 9, June 19
Score: Reds 5, Rockies 4.
Key moment: With the Reds trailing 4-3 in the sixth, Votto hit a two-run single.
Star of the game: In his 2023 debut, Votto went 2-for-3 with a walk and drove in three runs. He hit a home run in second at-bat.
Standings: The Reds moved into first place with a half-game lead over the Brewers.
No. 10, June 20
Score: Reds 8, Rockies 6.
Key moment: Friedl hit a three-run home run in the second to give the Reds a 3-1 lead.
Star of the game: Friedl went 4-for-5 with three RBIs.
Standings: The Reds stayed one half game in front of the Brewers.
Credit: David Jablonski
Credit: David Jablonski
No. 11, June 21
Score: Reds 5, Rockies 3.
Key moment: Friedl hit a tie-breaking two-run home run in the eighth.
Star of the game: Stephenson went 3-for-4.
Standings: The Reds extended their lead over the Brewers to 1½ games.
No. 12, June 13
Score: Reds 11, Braves 10.
Key moment: Elly De La Cruz tripled to center to score Jonathan India, completing the cycle and giving the Reds an 11-7 lead in the sixth. They needed the extra run because Lucas Sims gave up three solo home runs to the Braves in the eighth.
Star of the game: De La Cruz doubled in the first, homered in the third, singled in the fifth and tripled in the sixth. He flied out in his last at-bat. He was 4-for-5 with three RBIs and three runs scored
Standings: The Reds maintained a 1½-game lead over the Brewers.
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