CINCINNATI -- Will Benson never gave up on himself and neither had the Reds.
Ditto for Matt McLain.
Given a chance in center field with TJ Friedl day to day with a right wrist injury, Benson is taking advantage on both sides of the game. During Thursday afternoon's 7-1 win over the White Sox that salvaged the final game of a three-game series, Benson reached three times, with a home run and three RBIs.
“He’s locked in. That’s what he does," said McLain, who had two extra-base hits, including a homer. "He’s got a real good eye at the plate. You make a mistake, he’s going to hammer it. And he has. So that’s good to see. And he’s been amazing in the outfield.”
Cincinnati's three-game losing streak is over. The club had also lost nine of its last 11 entering Thursday’s contest at Great American Ball Park.
Benson was recalled for the second time from Triple-A Louisville on May 9 and he has hit safely in four of his last five games. Against White Sox starter Bryse Wilson on Thursday, Cincinnati's first three batters of the game reached, leading to a sacrifice fly by Austin Hays and Benson's two-out, two-run single into right field.
It was 5-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning when Benson lifted a high 2-2 fastball for a two-out solo homer to center field. The ball went off Luis Robert Jr.'s glove and into the seats.
“Quite frankly when I touched first base, I thought [Robert] did catch it. Then I saw the ball fall on the ground, so I had a little bit of hope," Benson said of his first homer this season.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to go out there and play, working on the craft, work on the skills.”
Normally a corner outfielder, Benson came in to play center field as a defensive replacement on Tuesday after Friedl was hurt in an outfield collision with Elly De La Cruz. On Wednesday during a 4-2 loss to Chicago, Benson made three nifty catches in center, including a long running catch that took away a run-scoring extra-base hit from Miguel Vargas.
“I’m grateful, because that’s who I want to be as a player," Benson said. "I don’t want to just do it on one side. I want to do it on both. I’ve got the opportunity to really do that the past couple of nights.”
Benson arrived to the Reds in a trade with the Guardians shortly before Spring Training in 2023. After a slow start that got him sent down to Louisville for six weeks, he returned and enjoyed a breakout season, ending the season with a .275 average, an .863 OPS and 11 homers in 108 games.
The wheels fell off in 2024, though, as Benson batted .187 with a .650 OPS despite hitting 14 homers over 128 games. His strikeout rate ballooned to 39.7 percent -- one of the highest in the Major Leagues. During Spring Training this year, he was a relatively early cut.
Benson already had seven homers and 29 RBIs in 31 games this season for Louisville.
“He is trying to make the most of an opportunity," manager Terry Francona said. "When we sent him down, we told him, ‘Go play and you’ll get a chance.’ It’s the way the game is. If you deserve it, you get a chance. And he deserved it. Now he’s getting a chance.”
The Reds needed an offensive lift, and they will need even more of it to escape their collective funk. They are 0-4-1 in their last five series, and they were held to one run or less in six of the previous 10 games.
Reds starting pitcher Nick Martinez was perfect into the fifth inning and completed seven scoreless innings with two hits -- both singles -- allowed with no walks and three strikeouts. No White Sox batter reached second base while he was in the game.
De La Cruz and McLain also each contributed a home run to back up a sterling start.
Batting .182 with a .649 OPS in 36 games overall, McLain is trying to jump-start his season after struggling since returning April 15 from a left hamstring strain.
“He’s a good player. He’s going to hit. He’s just too good," Francona said.
Francona dropped McLain from second to eighth in the lineup on Tuesday. McLain has responded with a hit in each game since. On Wednesday, he led off the fourth inning with a double to left field and scored. His leadoff homer to left-center field in the sixth made it a 7-0 game.
“Teams are coming at you differently just because of where you are in the lineup," McLain said. "You’re still one hitter in the lineup. It doesn’t matter where you hit. Just try to be the best version of yourself, no matter where you are in the lineup every day."