When the Cincinnati Reds take the field at Great American Ball Park, the magic seems to follow. On Sunday afternoon, in front of a raucous home crowd, the “Rally Reds” lived up to their nickname—erasing a late deficit and sealing a heart-pounding 3–2 walk-off win over the San Diego Padres.
The hero of the day? Will Benson, whose game-winning single capped a dramatic ninth-inning comeback and sent fans into a frenzy.
Trailing 2–1 in the bottom of the ninth, the Reds needed a spark—and got it from the top of their lineup. Elly De La Cruz reached base on an error, immediately igniting the dugout. With runners on and the crowd swelling, Spencer Steer delivered a clutch RBI hit to tie the game.
Then came Benson. Calm at the plate, explosive on contact—he laced a line drive into right field to score Gavin Lux from second, completing the rally and handing the Reds their third walk-off win of the 2025 season.
“We never feel out of a game,” Benson told reporters postgame. “This clubhouse believes, especially in front of our fans. That final inning was just us doing what we know how to do: fight.”
Starter Nick Lodolo kept the game close, pitching 5.1 innings of one-run ball with 5 strikeouts. The bullpen, led by Lucas Sims and Emilio Pagan, locked down the Padres until the offense had its moment.
Pagan earned the win with a scoreless ninth, setting the stage for the late fireworks.
For San Diego, the loss stings. Despite taking a 2–1 lead in the seventh on a fielder’s choice by José Iglesias, the Padres squandered several scoring chances throughout the afternoon. In total, they left 13 runners on base and went 0-for-13 with runners in scoring position.
Closer Robert Suarez, who entered with the MLB lead in saves, couldn’t shut the door—giving up the game-winning hit and suffering only his third blown save of the season.
With the win, the Reds improve to 44–40, climbing above the .500 mark and bolstering their NL Wild Card ambitions. It also wraps a 4–2 homestand, punctuated by thrilling late-game heroics that have become a calling card for this youthful, fearless team.
“You feel the crowd, the energy,” said manager David Bell. “And these guys feed off that. Nights like this? That’s what makes baseball beautiful.”