Boston Red Sox vs Cincinnati Reds — Mar 29, 2026 | AI-prognos & statistik

Rhett Lowder’s big-league debut shows flashes of his plus changeup, but the Red Sox force him into long counts the second time through the order. A two-run third—keyed by Marcelo Mayer’s opposite-field double and Roman Anthony’s RBI single—puts Boston in front early. Connelly Early works efficiently, mixing a sharp slider with a rising four-seamer; the only damage against him is a Matt McLain sac fly in the second. Cincinnati claws back with a fifth-inning rally when Elly De La Cruz lines a triple past Rafaela and scores on Spencer Steer’s grounder, trimming the deficit to 3-2. Boston’s bullpen trio of Whitlock, Slaten and Chapman limits further threats, though Eugenio Suárez tags Whitlock for a game-tying solo shot in the seventh after successfully challenging a low strike. The tie doesn’t last. In the eighth, Jarren Duran drops a bunt single, swipes second, and races home on Trevor Story’s liner into the left-field corner off Pierce Johnson. Chapman nails down the ninth, but not before issuing a walk; he freezes De La Cruz with 101 mph heat to seal it. An insurance run in the ninth—Ceddanne Rafaela scoring on a wild pitch—sets the final at 5-3, giving Boston the series and capitalizing on Cincinnati’s still-shaky late-inning relief corps.