Reds Rally Past Blue Jays with Ninth-Inning Walk-Off Thriller

CINCINNATI - The Cincinnati Reds mounted a dramatic ninth-inning comeback to defeat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 on Monday afternoon at Great American Ball Park, capped by a walk-off single from Noelvi Marte.

Emilio Pagán, tasked with protecting a 2-1 lead, surrendered back-to-back homers to Bo Bichette and Daulton Varsho in the top of the ninth, flipping the contest in Toronto’s favor at 4-2. In the bottom half, the Reds rallied against two Jays relievers, beginning with Ke’Bryan Hayes’s RBI single and Matt McLain’s run, followed by TJ Friedl’s game-tying double. Marte then delivered the decisive blow, lining a full-count single to left field to plate McLain and seal the victory.

Hunter Greene provided a strong start for Cincinnati, going 6 ⅓ innings and allowing one earned run on five hits while striking out seven. Greene’s deep outing marked a significant rebound after a rough outing last week, though his pitch efficiency (61 of 101 strikes) remains an area for refinement.

Chris Bassitt took the ball for Toronto, tossing six innings and yielding two runs on five hits with six strikeouts. The Blue Jays managed only one hit with runners in scoring position and left four men on base, despite leading 4-2 entering the ninth.

Sal Stewart made a memorable Major League debut for the Reds, singling in his first at-bat and scoring on Hayes’s two-run triple in the second inning. The No. 1 prospect finished 1-for-3 and impressed both on the field and in the stands, where his emotional father witnessed the milestone.

Scoring Summary Bottom 2nd CIN: Ke’Bryan Hayes two-run triple (Reds lead 2-0) Top 7th TOR: Alejandro Kirk RBI single (Reds lead 2-1) Top 9th TOR: Bo Bichette two-run homer; Daulton Varsho solo homer (Blue Jays lead 4-2) Bottom 9th CIN: TJ Friedl RBI double; Noelvi Marte walk-off single (Reds win 5-4)

Nick Lodolo (8-7, 3.22 ERA) is slated to start for Cincinnati on Tuesday, opposing Toronto right-hander José Berríos (9-5, 3.95 ERA). First pitch is at 6:40 p.m. ET on FanDuel Sports Network Cincinnati and 700 WLW.