Photo: Doug Gray
The Cincinnati Reds began the spring by losing their first two games. On Thursday they picked up their third consecutive win and moved to 3-2 in Cactus League action. During the victory they got help late from several prospects to secure the game.
The game was back-and-forth, seeing the Reds and Padres score three runs in back-to-back half innings, then do it again with 6-run innings later. The score was 9-9 heading into the bottom of the 6th inning and that’s when Tyler Callihan put a mark on the contest, crushing his first home run of the spring to make it 10-9.
Two innings later the Padres tied the game up in the top of the 8th. Callihan was there again, this time leading off the bottom of the frame with a double. He moved up a base on an infield hit by Michael Chavis. That set up Cam Collier and he came through with a go-ahead RBI single into left field to make it 11-10.
Both Collier and Callihan are coming off of an injury plagued 2025 season. Collier injured his thumb one year ago this week and had to undergo surgery that cost him several months on the shelf before he got back on the field. Callihan would suffer a gruesome injury in Atlanta where a collision with the wall saw him fracture his arm in multiple places and require season ending surgery in early May. They both entered the day hitless this spring (each was 0-4) but got some good swings in for the club as they came off of the bench.
After plenty of pitchers for both sides struggled on the day, some of the minor league guys got a chance to pitch and in the top of the 9th Terry Francona called on Will Cannon to come into the game and try to pick up the save. He pitched for Daytona (13 games), Dayton (22 games), and Chattanooga (2 games) last season. Cannon didn’t give up many hits – just 39 of them in his 58.0 combined innings, but he did walk 31 batters on the season. On Thursday afternoon he was locked in and retired the side in order on just 11 pitches to seal the win. Those three weren’t the only prospects to had a good day, though. Chase Petty threw two innings hitless baseball. He walked one guy and struck out one guy in his first outing this spring.
You can see the full box score for the game here.
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