The Cleveland Guardians took two things when they left Great American Ball Park: The Ohio Cup and the modest momentum the Cincinnati Reds had gathered since the All-Star break.
The Guardians won the July 29 series finale against the Reds, 6-1, and recaptured the Ohio Cup, which will return to Progressive Field after Cleveland won four out of six games against Cincinnati in 2026. The Reds won the Ohio Cup in 2025.
More importantly for the Guardians (56-54), the series win will aid their pursuit of the Chicago White Sox, the American League Central division leader. Cleveland also stood alone in the third AL wild card spot, leading its nearest challenger by 1.5 games.
The series defeat was the Reds' first since prior to MLB's All-Star break, and dropped
the Reds to 50-57 with 55 games to play and the Aug. 3 trade deadline looming. Cincinnati had won three consecutive series coming out of the break.
A trading frenzy hadn't yet kicked off around baseball, but the implications of possible moves became clearer as the deadline approached. By July 29, starting-pitcher trade candidates were within the window of potentially making final starts for their current clubs.
It's possible that was true for Reds starter Brady Singer, a reliable innings eater whose name became a companion piece to some trade speculation.
Against Cleveland, Singer plowed through four innings before the gloves behind him took a toll. In the fifth inning, a fielding error by Elly De La Cruz was compounded by a miscommunication on a force play at second base involving De La Cruz and Edwin Arroyo. The Guardians loaded the bases with no outs, and Singer exited after 4 1/3 innings. He was eventually charged with four runs, although two were unearned.
Through his July 29 start, Singer had amassed a 19-22 record in 52 starts for the Reds. He tossed 277 1/3 innings for Cincinnati since coming to the club prior to the 2025 season via offseason trade.
The Reds broke up Cleveland's shutout in the sixth inning when Noelvi Marte drove in Dane Myers, but more Guardians insurance was coming.
Kyle Manzardo would homer in the seventh inning, marking his second long ball of the series and fourth of the season series.
The Reds will now turn their attention back to the National League Central, and will host a Pittsburgh Pirates team knocking on the door of the National League wild card race. Cincinnati will host Pittsburgh four a four-game series at Great American Ball Park.
The Reds enter the Pirates series with an 8-23 record against NL Central opposition.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Guardians take Ohio Cup, Reds' momentum in series win
