Stephenson hits go-ahead homer in ninth inning as Reds beat Rangers
It feels really good, honestly, you know, it’s something I kind of, uh, dreamed of when I was 9 years old, you know, um, it’s *** great award, but um. Yeah, that’s in the past now and today we have the Pittsburgh Pirates so, um, I’m gonna go out there and play hard for my team and help the team win. So, um, obviously it’s great and I’m super proud of myself, but, uh, that’s in the past now and now it’s time to go out there and play against the Pirates. Um, I just feel like I was swinging at good pitches and um sticking to my approach and my game plan, so, um. Obviously I was *** great it was *** great weekend, but I just gotta keep doing that every day and um sticking to who I am as *** player. So um I’m happy with how I played, but more importantly, I’m happy that uh that we got the series win. So that’s *** good Boston team, um, and I’m happy that we got the series win. I just try to be who I am. You know, um, it’s nice to know that the guys that have my back and, uh, that’s super big, and that’s super big for me as *** player, um, and like I said, you know, the, this, this clubhouse and this group of guys, man, I’ve never been around someone like this, so, um, they’re great players and great teammates, and I’m, I’m, I’m having *** great time, and, um, yeah, I couldn’t speak more highly than, uh, than the guys in the clubhouse.
Stephenson hits go-ahead homer in ninth inning as Reds beat Rangers
Updated: 7:19 PM EDT Apr 3, 2026
Tyler Stephenson hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the ninth inning and the Cincinnati Reds won in their first road game this season, a 5-3 victory to spoil the home opener for the Texas Rangers on Friday.Spencer Steer and Elly Del La Cruz also homered for the Reds.Steer opened the ninth with a double off reliever Chris Martin (1-1) before Stephenson lined a full-count pitch into the Rangers’ bullpen in right-center for his first homer.Tony Santillan (1-0), the fourth of five Reds pitchers, pitched a perfect eighth inning. Emilio Pagán worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his second save.The Rangers played their first home game for new manager Skip Schumaker after taking two of three games in series at Philadelphia and Baltimore. The last time they played six games before their home opener was 2008.Steer’s two-run homer in the second and De La Cruz going deep to lead off the sixth both came off MacKenzie Gore, the All-Star left-hander that came to Texas from Washington in January in a trade for five prospects. It was the third homer, all solo shots, for De La Cruz this season.Gore struck out nine without a walk while allowing those three runs over six innings in his first home start. Texas got even at 2 in the bottom of the second on No. 9 batter Danny Jansen’s double under the the glove of diving left fielder Steer off Brady Singer, the Reds starter who struck out five and walked one while pitching into the sixth.Brandon Nimmo had a one-out triple in the Texas seventh before Wyatt Langford’s RBI double for a 3-3 tie.Up nextReds right-hander Rhett Lowder, still a rookie after making his MLB debut in 2024 and then missing all of 2025 because of forearm and oblique strains, makes his second start this season Saturday. Rangers right-hander Kumar Rocker, their No. 5 starter, makes his season debut.
CINCINNATI —
Tyler Stephenson hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the ninth inning and the Cincinnati Reds won in their first road game this season, a 5-3 victory to spoil the home opener for the Texas Rangers on Friday.
Spencer Steer and Elly Del La Cruz also homered for the Reds.
Steer opened the ninth with a double off reliever Chris Martin (1-1) before Stephenson lined a full-count pitch into the Rangers’ bullpen in right-center for his first homer.
Tony Santillan (1-0), the fourth of five Reds pitchers, pitched a perfect eighth inning. Emilio Pagán worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his second save.
The Rangers played their first home game for new manager Skip Schumaker after taking two of three games in series at Philadelphia and Baltimore. The last time they played six games before their home opener was 2008.
Steer’s two-run homer in the second and De La Cruz going deep to lead off the sixth both came off MacKenzie Gore, the All-Star left-hander that came to Texas from Washington in January in a trade for five prospects. It was the third homer, all solo shots, for De La Cruz this season.
Gore struck out nine without a walk while allowing those three runs over six innings in his first home start.
Texas got even at 2 in the bottom of the second on No. 9 batter Danny Jansen’s double under the the glove of diving left fielder Steer off Brady Singer, the Reds starter who struck out five and walked one while pitching into the sixth.
Brandon Nimmo had a one-out triple in the Texas seventh before Wyatt Langford’s RBI double for a 3-3 tie.
Up next
Reds right-hander Rhett Lowder, still a rookie after making his MLB debut in 2024 and then missing all of 2025 because of forearm and oblique strains, makes his second start this season Saturday. Rangers right-hander Kumar Rocker, their No. 5 starter, makes his season debut.