CINCINNATI -- Jose Trevino has been a leader in the clubhouse all season. On Sunday, he led the Reds to one of the most important and satisfying wins of the season.
Austin Hays lined a bases-loaded single down the third-base line with one out in the 10th to score TJ Friedl with the game-winning run and help the Reds beat the Brewers, 3-2, before 26,426 at Great American Ball Park, snapping Milwaukee’s 14-game win streak.
Finally, Cincinnati turned the tables on MLB’s hottest team with a late-inning rally that gave the Brewers just their fifth loss in 34 games.
And Trevino did it all for the Reds, who were essentially playing with only one catcher as Tyler Stephenson was dealing with a banged-up thumb on his catching hand.
“I just think of it, 30 years from now I'm going to wish I can do this all over again,” Trevino said of playing a day game after a night game.
What Trevino will remember about this day in 30 years is what he did behind the plate and in the batter’s box to help the Reds win a game -- emotionally -- they couldn’t afford to lose.
William Contreras’ two-run homer off Emilio Pagán put Milwaukee up, 2-1, in the top of the ninth, providing what looked like the Brewers' latest devastating blow in a weekend full of them.
“Just a big win all around for us,” Trevino said. “Two heartbreaking losses. We were in those games. We were in a lot of games this homestand. But to get this one, it's big. It shows a lot about us, as a team. We could easily crumble when Contreras hits that homer [and] pack it in if we wanted to, but we didn't. That's something about this team, it's really gritty.”
And Trevino was the guy showing the most grit on the Reds Sunday.
The crowd could sense another brutal loss coming its way after Cincinnati blew a one-run lead in the ninth and a chance to win in the 10th on Saturday, as well as an 8-1 lead on Friday.
"I don’t see it as an opponent thing,” Trevino said of Milwaukee’s 14-game win streak and its recent domination of the Reds. “I see it as an 'us' thing. I think it’s all about what we have inside, what we have inside this clubhouse, and what you’re going to bring to the table after two days of what just happened. Just got our teeth kicked in. You got gut-punched. Get up. What are you going to do next?"
Brice Turang bobbled Will Benson’s grounder to open the ninth against reliever Tobias Myers to give Cincinnati life. After Benson advanced to third on Noelvi Marte’s single to right-center, Trevino -- who plated the first run of the game on a sacrifice fly in the seventh -- lined a single to right that scored Benson with the tying run.
“Oh, you don’t want to know [what I was thinking in the ninth],” Reds skipper Terry Francona said. “The whole series was like [that]. I don’t know if I have years left, but whatever I have, it took some off.”
Trevino did it in the field, as well.
In the eighth, Tony Santillan walked Tyler Black with one out. As Black attempted to steal second, Trevino threw a strike to Elly De La Cruz to nab him for the second out. But that paled in comparison to his play in the 10th.
Trevino fielded a bunt from Blake Perkins and threw out automatic runner Andrew Vaughn at third for a key first out in the top of the 10th. Graham Ashcraft (7-4) then worked his way out of a scoreless frame for the win.
Hays’ single came off Grant Anderson (2-4) after De La Cruz and Benson were intentionally walked. With the win, Cincinnati extended its run of not being swept to 41 consecutive series.
Lost in the late-inning commotion was the work again of Andrew Abbott. One start after opening Monday's outing against the Phillies with four perfect innings, Abbott was again outstanding for Cincinnati. The left-hander allowed just four hits over seven scoreless innings, retiring the first eight batters of the day.
And Sunday, Trevino had to catch Abbott since Stephenson was dinged up.
“He's been great. He did it all today,” Abbott said of Trevino. “For the pitching staff, he's been great. He's been a veteran leader for us. He’s been a good presence in the clubhouse, just treating everybody with respect, showing up every day, ready to play. You couldn't ask any more of him.”