The Reds reliever described the feeling of having to keep the Yankees fans quiet after their victory in a nasty way.
For the Reds, Fernando Cruz had a huge game.
One of the most important aspects of the game was Fernando Cruz’s clutch play in the seventh inning to get Aaron Judge to ground into a double play. The Cincinnati Reds defeated the New York Yankees 3-2 on Wednesday to win the series. Cruz talked passionately about his feelings following the game.
Fernando Cruz stated, as reported by The Associated Press, “It was the time to compete.” “You are identified to me. Here I am. I think you’re not anticipating a fastball in the middle of the plate, so I’m going to throw you one of my three pitches that I can use to get you out.
Cruz took on the finest batter in the game, Aaron Judge. There was one out and runners on the corners. Anthony Volpe’s hit earlier in the inning gave the Yankees two runs off of Cruz. With a strong at-bat by Judge, they were poised to tie the game. In the end, Judge struck it hard, but it was directly at Noelvi Marte, who initiated the double play that ended the inning.
Cruz called the Reds’ escape from the gridlock “the best feeling in the world.”
According to Cruz, “one of the best feelings in sports is shutting down the fans, the crowd—the game was on the line and shutting them down,” as reported by The Associated Press. “I’m not sure what could be superior to that.”
Cruz was aware that Judge, who leads MLB in home runs (32), RBI (83), and OPS (1.158), was the best hitter he would face. He enjoyed the task.
According to Cruz, “There’s no secret about it—it’s the best hitter in the world,” The Associated Press reported. “There isn’t a better approach to compete.”
In order to win 3-2, the Reds then easily finished off the game in the eighth and ninth innings.
Reds attempting to continue chasing wild cards
After defeating the Yankees in the series, the Reds will look to complete a sweep on July 4 when Frankie Montas takes the mound against his old team. Cincinnati’s record after the victory on Wednesday was 41-45 overall. The Reds are currently 3.5 games out of the National League’s final wild card berth as a result.
To get into a playoff spot, Cincinnati will have to pass five teams that are ahead in the National League standings. The Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants are a half game ahead of the Reds, while the Arizona Diamondbacks are a game ahead, and the New York Mets are two games ahead. The last wild card spot is held by the St. Louis Cardinals, who the Reds are 3.5 games back of, as mentioned before.
