Matt McLain had the best game of his young 2026 season on Saturday, and the Cincinnati Reds needed every bit of it just to stay alive long enough for Dane Myers to deliver a walk-off single in the 11th inning that gave Cincinnati a 6-5 win over the Boston Red Sox at Great American Ball Park.

McLain reached base five times on the afternoon, going 3-for-4 with an RBI double and two walks while the Reds’ top three hitters carried the offense against a Red Sox pitching staff that entered the series with some real momentum after blanking Cincinnati on Opening Day.

Advertisement

And after the win, McLain pointed to the guy on the mound in extras as the real reason Cincinnati walked away with its first victory of the year.

McLain Tips His Cap to Phillips

Connor Phillips came on in the 10th inning with the game tied at five and promptly shut down Boston’s lineup, striking out three batters across two scoreless innings on just 23 pitches.

After the game, McLain didn’t hold back on what he thought of the reliever’s performance.

Advertisement

“Yeah, he’s nasty,” McLain said. “We all know that and he got the job done. He’s a great pitcher and he’s going to be huge for us. We saw that tonight.”

Phillips struck out Marcelo Mayers and Conor Wong in the 10th before getting Ceddanne Rafaela to fly out, then came back out for the 11th and punched out Roman Anthony before Trevor Story lined into an unassisted double play by McLain himself.

That type of lockdown relief effort is exactly what can define a bullpen’s identity early in the season, and Reds manager Terry Francona echoed that sentiment when he praised Phillips for his efficiency and willingness to go two innings in the second game of the year.

Advertisement

McLain’s Hot Start Carries Over From Spring

The second baseman came into the regular season after one of the most dominant spring trainings in recent memory, leading all of MLB in nearly every major offensive category with seven home runs and a 1.591 OPS during Cactus League play.

After struggling through a rough 2025 that saw him hit just .220 with a .643 OPS following his return from shoulder surgery, the early returns suggest that McLain might finally be past the recovery process and back to looking like the guy who posted a 3.2 WAR in his first 89 career games back in 2023.

Advertisement

Through two regular season games, McLain is hitting 3-for-7 with three walks and a double.

He went hitless in the Opening Day loss but bounced back in a big way on Saturday, and if this version of McLain sticks around alongside Elly De La Cruz and rookie Sal Stewart, who has five hits through his first two big league games, Cincinnati’s lineup could look very different than projections suggested heading into the year.

What’s Next

Both teams sit at 1-1 heading into Sunday’s rubber match at Great American Ball Park, with Rhett Lowder set to make his 2026 debut against Red Sox lefty Connelly Early. First pitch is scheduled for 1:40 p.m. ET.