Giants Steal Reds’ Thunder in Francona’s Debut

Opening Day at Great American Ball Park was supposed to be a celebration for Cincinnati under new manager Terry Francona. But instead of a party, the Giants delivered a late-inning stunner. San Francisco spoiled the debut of Francona as Reds skipper by rallying for four runs in the ninth inning to grab a 6-4 win.

Cincinnati led 3-2 entering the ninth, thanks to a solid outing from Hunter Greene, who struck out eight in five innings. Jeimer Candelario delivered the offense, driving in three of the Reds’ four runs. But the bullpen faltered late, and Ian Gibaut couldn’t slam the door, giving up the go-ahead homer to Wilmer Flores.

Despite the sour ending, the Reds fanned 16 batters, showing signs of a fiery rotation in the making. With closer Alexis Díaz sidelined, the back end of the bullpen remains a question mark. Still, it’s just game one of 162—plenty of time for the Reds to sharpen their fangs.

Elsewhere in Major League Baseball, the Chicago Cubs powered past the Diamondbacks 10-6, led by Miguel Amaya’s three-run double. The Cleveland Guardians edged the Royals 7-4 in 10 innings, thanks to Kyle Manzardo’s clutch two-run double in extras. The White Sox handled the Angels with ease, winning 8-1 behind a three-run blast from Andrew Benintendi. Meanwhile, Shohei Ohtani homered in his Dodgers debut, thrilling stars like Tom Hanks and Magic Johnson, as Los Angeles outlasted the Tigers 5-4.