Elly De La Cruz celebrated the runs he scored on Opening Day by walking to the end of the dugout and holding up his hands, both protected by sliding gloves that would be just as useful in removing a hot pizza pan from the stove, and posing for the cameras.
De La Cruz created several memorable images in the first three innings Thursday at Great American Ball Park. The rest of the Cincinnati Reds did their part as well, building a 3-0 lead and then clinging to a 3-2 lead through eight innings.
In the entire history of Riverfront Stadium and Great American Ball Park, the Reds had never taken a lead into the ninth inning on Opening Day and lost. That changed when the San Francisco Giants scored four runs against Reds reliever Ian Gibaut in their final at-bat and won 6-4.
Surrounded by reporters in the clubhouse after the game, Gibaut talked about the disappointment of being one out away from a save and then blowing the lead.
“That’s why you play the game,” Gibaut said. “You want to be the guy that gets the last out. It’s kind of what I’ve done all my life. It’s what I’ve been used to. Obviously, we’ll look for a different outcome next time.”
The Reds hadn’t lost a ninth-inning lead in their first game since 1966. They opened the season at Connie Mack Stadium in Philadelphia that year. Reliever Jack Baldschun gave up two runs in the bottom of the ninth as the Reds lost 4-3 to the Phillies.
As far as traditional Opening Days in Cincinnati go, the Reds hadn’t suffered a loss like this on Opening Day since 1946 when they took a 3-0 lead into the ninth and lost 4-3 to the Chicago Cubs. Starter Joe Beggs and reliever Ed Heusser combined to lose that game at Crosley Field.
“A great day — for eight innings,” read one headline in the Dayton Herald.
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At that point in 1946, the Reds had lost 15 of their last 20 games on Opening Day. The modern-day Reds are 8-12 in their last 20 openers and have lost three of their last four.
Gibaut got the ball in the ninth in part because Alexis Díaz, who had 75 saves the last three seasons, started the season on the 15-day injured list with a left hamstring strain.
New Reds manager Terry Francona, who became the seventh of the last eight Reds managers to lose on Opening Day, said his other thought was to use Emilio Pagán in a closing situation. Instead, he used Pagán in the seventh inning, and Pagán pitched a perfect frame with two strikeouts.
Scott Barlow and Tony Santillan also pitched scoreless innings of relief after starter Hunter Greene allowed two earned runs on three hits in five innings.
“I thought our bullpen, up to that point really really did a great job,” Francona said.
Wilmer Flores, of the Giants, hits a tie-breaking, three-run home run against the Reds in the ninth inning on Thursday, March 27, 2025, on Opening Day at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. David Jablonski/Staff
Credit: David Jablonski
Wilmer Flores, of the Giants, hits a tie-breaking, three-run home run against the Reds in the ninth inning on Thursday, March 27, 2025, on Opening Day at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. David Jablonski/Staff
With two outs, Gibaut gave up a one-run, game-tying single to Patrick Bailey. The next batter, Wilmer Flores, hit a three-run home to give the Giants a 6-3 lead. It was their first lead of the game.
Francona fell to 2-2 in his first game with new teams. He lost his first game with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1997 and won his first games with the Boston Red Sox in 2004 and Cleveland Indians, now Guardians, in 2013.
“It better not deflate us too much,” Francona said. “It’s no fun losing anyway. Losing late is hard. If that’s too much for us, I’ve got the wrong read on our guys.”
Gibaut, 31, was 9-6 with a 3.77 ERA in the last three seasons with the Reds. He pitched only two games with the Reds last season — both in September — because of a right forearm injury, but he made 11 appearances in the minor leagues. Two years ago, he had a 3.33 ERA in 74 games.
Greene spoke to Gibaut after the game and let him know he supports him and will look past this result.
“Ian’s a dog,” Greene said. “That’s what I told him. I know people might not want to hear that, but people need to believe that because he is. The last couple of years he’s been with us, he’s been in very tight situations, and he’s made it look easy getting out of them. This game is difficult. He wasn’t able to do that today. But he’s one of our best pitchers.”
