The word reds was on lips and scoreboards all afternoon in a spring training game that felt less like March and more like a late-summer test: wind, towering drives, and a final swing that ended everything at 3: 05 PM ET’s starting point with a jolt of noise. By the time it was over, Cincinnati had rallied late to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 14-13, surviving a brutal stretch from two relievers and leaning on a lineup that kept answering back.
What happened in Reds vs. Dodgers, and why did it feel so chaotic?
On a windy afternoon, the teams combined for 10 home runs in a spring training game that turned into a back-and-forth slugfest. Cincinnati ultimately scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth to secure the 14-13 win, punctuated by Rece Hinds’ walk-off three-run home run.
The scoring bursts weren’t confined to one inning or one side. The Dodgers hit five homers, including two by Santiago Espinal and one in the top of the ninth by Nick Senzel. Cincinnati’s power came from multiple bats as well, with Matt McLain, Elly De La Cruz, Will Benson, and Nate Lowe all homering.
How did Matt McLain and Elly De La Cruz shape the game?
McLain’s day read like a box-score flex: 3-for-3, three runs scored, a home run, and two RBI. His spring training line through 20 plate appearances stands at. 647/. 700/1. 412 with four homers and 11 RBI, a stretch that has been impossible to ignore even in an exhibition setting. In a game where the pitching wobbled on both sides, McLain’s at-bats provided the kind of steady thump that kept Cincinnati within striking distance.
De La Cruz added another loud moment, homering as part of Cincinnati’s barrage. His home run was measured at 438 feet, the type of distance that cuts through any qualifier about spring training. On a day when the ball carried and the gusts turned routine fly balls into anxious looks, De La Cruz’s blast didn’t require much interpretation.
What went wrong for key relievers, and what does it mean from here?
Cincinnati still won, but the middle innings carried a clear warning label. Relievers Emilio Pagán and Tony Santillan struggled Thursday, combining to allow seven earned runs in 1 2/3 innings.
Pagán was the third pitcher used, and he surrendered three home runs in the third inning. His line in that frame accounted for four earned runs on three homers. Santillan began the fourth inning but was pulled after recording two outs and allowing three earned runs on one hit and three walks. Connor Phillips also allowed three earned runs in the fifth inning, adding to the sense that the day’s pitching story would be as important as the hitting highlights.
There is context that makes the rough patches stand out: last season, Pagán logged a 2. 88 ERA with 32 saves across 70 appearances, while Santillan appeared in 80 games and posted a 2. 44 ERA. Those numbers don’t erase what happened Thursday, but they do underscore why the outing registered as a surprise and why the response in the days ahead—mechanically, mentally, and in usage—will matter.
For Cincinnati, the takeaway isn’t simply that the Reds can outslug trouble. It’s that even in a win, certain innings reveal what needs tightening. Spring training offers the space to absorb that lesson without standings pressure, but it also puts the evidence in plain view.
Who delivered the final moment, and what did it say about the day?
Rece Hinds delivered the game’s defining swing: a walk-off three-run home run in the bottom of the ninth. In a contest where momentum kept changing hands and the Dodgers had just homered in the top of the ninth, the finish brought the entire afternoon into focus—messy, thrilling, and decided by one more hard contact.
It also fit the shape of this particular game: neither side could fully lock it down, so the last club to land a punch would own the story. Cincinnati did, turning a day of pitching trouble into an offensive statement and sending everyone home with the unmistakable imprint of a 14-13 scoreline.
Image caption (alt text): Walk-off celebration after the Reds score four in the bottom of the ninth against the Dodgers.
