Reds beat Brewers despite long rain delay, hit three home runs in win

The Reds and Brewers played through a lengthy rain delay Saturday and finished the game, with Cincinnati collecting three home runs in the win, MLB.com reported.

What happened

Rain interrupted the Reds-Brewers contest at some point during the game, but play eventually resumed and the game reached its conclusion. Cincinnati hit three home runs in the process, per MLB.com. The specific length of the delay, the inning in which it occurred, and the players responsible for the home runs were not detailed in the report.

What the report did highlight was the tenacity the Reds showed in seeing the game through — a quality that, in late September's shadow, carries a particular kind of weight for a club still trying to find its footing in the standings.

Why it matters

Rain delays are one of baseball's more theatrical inconveniences: the tarps come out, the grounds crew earns its keep, and both dugouts spend an indeterminate stretch of time doing whatever it is baseball players do when the game is on pause. Completing a rain-delayed game is not, on its own, a remarkable achievement. But doing so with three home runs in the win column is the kind of outcome that keeps a winning streak alive and, more practically, keeps a roster from having to schedule a makeup date that nobody wants on their calendar in September.

For the Reds, who entered this stretch of the schedule at 68-74, the win extends a current streak to W1. That is not a number that moves mountains in the NL Central race, but it is a number that moves in the right direction.

The timing of the win matters operationally as well. The Reds have been churning through roster moves in recent days, adding depth at both the major and minor league levels. A completed game in the books means one fewer logistical headache for a front office already managing multiple IL returns and September call-ups.

The numbers

Cincinnati carries a 68-74 record (.479) into Sunday, sitting 5th in the NL Central, 19.5 games behind the division leader. In the Wild Card picture, the Reds rank 8th, sitting 6.5 games relative to the cut line. The math is steep, but the games are still being played, and Saturday's completed rain delay is now part of the ledger.

The three home runs in Saturday's win represent the kind of offensive output that has been inconsistent for Cincinnati this season. The Reds have shown the ability to generate power in stretches, but sustaining it across a full game — particularly one interrupted by weather — requires the kind of focus that can be difficult to maintain when the tarp comes out and the waiting begins.

Where the club stands

The Reds are 68-74 (.479), fifth in the NL Central and 19.5 games back of the division lead. Their Wild Card position sits at rank 8, with 6.5 games separating them from the cut line. They enter Sunday on a one-game winning streak.

The schedule ahead does not offer much in the way of comfort. Sunday brings Milwaukee back to Great American Ball Park, with Brady Singer lined up against Kyle Harrison. Then the Reds travel west for back-to-back games at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium on Monday and Tuesday, with Chase Burns scheduled for Monday against a Dodgers starter to be determined.

Tuesday's start is worth watching closely. Nick Lodolo is listed as the probable pitcher for that game, but a recurring blister on his throwing hand — stemming from his breaking ball grip and responsible for two IL stints this season, per earlier Posterior Wire reporting — has already cast doubt on his ability to take the ball. That situation remains unresolved.

The roster has been in flux throughout the week. Two days before Saturday's game, Brandon Williamson was activated after a shoulder injury had kept him out since April. Three days before the rain-delayed win, the Reds signed veteran infielder Orlando Arcia to a minor league deal and assigned him to Triple-A Louisville as depth for the final weeks of the season. On the same day, the club signed outfielder Dominic Fletcher to a minor league deal and assigned him to Triple-A Louisville with a potential MLB call-up opportunity.

One day before Saturday's game, the Reds were set to select the contract of outfielder Carlos Jorge from Triple-A Louisville for his MLB debut. Whether Jorge appeared in Saturday's rain-delayed game is not specified in the report.

What we don't know yet

The MLB.com report does not specify how long the rain delay lasted, which inning it struck, or which Reds hitters accounted for the three home runs. Those details may surface in subsequent game coverage.

On the roster front, Graham Ashcraft was expected to be activated off the 60-day IL on Sunday after more than three months away with a right forearm UCL sprain, per earlier reporting — though that activation had not been formally announced at the time of this writing. Whether Ashcraft's return was finalized in time to affect Saturday's bullpen usage is not clear from the available material.

The broader question of how the Reds' recent roster additions will fit into the final weeks of the season also remains open. September roster rules permit teams to carry 28 players on the active roster, up from the 26-player limit that applies through August 31. That expanded capacity creates room for clubs to carry additional pitchers and position players, which is particularly useful for teams managing multiple IL returns and evaluating prospects for future seasons.

What to watch

### Is Nick Lodolo starting Tuesday in Los Angeles?

That is the question the Reds' rotation presents heading into the week. Lodolo is listed as the Tuesday probable against the Dodgers, but the recurring blister situation reported earlier this week makes his availability genuinely uncertain. The Reds have added depth in recent days, though the minor league signings of Fletcher and Arcia do not directly address a starting pitching gap.

Ashcraft's expected return to the bullpen on Sunday is the more immediate roster development to monitor. After more than three months on the 60-day IL with a right forearm UCL sprain, his availability would give Cincinnati's relief corps a known arm at a point in the season when the expanded roster allows clubs to carry additional pitchers.

The 60-day IL is a roster mechanism that removes a player from the 40-man count, which can be useful for clubs managing multiple injuries or making room for September call-ups. When a player is ready to return from the 60-day IL, the club must clear a spot on both the 40-man roster and the active roster. In Ashcraft's case, the Reds have had several days to prepare for that move, and the expanded September roster provides additional flexibility.

The Brewers are back in Cincinnati on Sunday, giving the Reds a chance to extend their winning streak before the Los Angeles trip. Brady Singer against Kyle Harrison is the pitching matchup on the board. What the rain does is, as always, a separate negotiation.

Saturday's completed game is now in the books, three home runs and all. The Reds showed the tenacity to finish what they started, even after the delay. In a season that has not gone according to plan, that is the kind of small victory that still counts.