Rhett Lowder turned in the best start of his young career, tossing six scoreless innings as the Cincinnati Reds blanked the Texas Rangers 2-0 on Saturday night at Globe Life Field. The win improved the Reds to 5-3 and clinched the series victory in Arlington.
Lowder's Breakthrough
Lowder earned his first win since the 2024 season, limiting the Rangers to just three hits over six innings with two walks and four strikeouts on 82 pitches. The seventh overall pick in the 2023 draft missed all of 2025 with a forearm strain followed by an oblique injury. Saturday's performance was a statement that he belongs in this rotation.
Lowder retired batters in order in four of his six innings and never allowed more than one baserunner in any frame. His command of the fastball-changeup combination kept Rangers hitters off balance all night.
Bullpen Completes the Shutout
Graham Ashcraft, Tony Santillan, and Emilio Pagan each threw a scoreless inning in relief to complete the Reds' second shutout of the season. Pagan earned his third save despite allowing a hit and two walks in the ninth.
First-Inning Damage
The Reds scored both runs in the first inning against Kumar Rocker. Matt McLain singled and advanced on a wild pitch, then scored on Elly De La Cruz's single to center. De La Cruz was running on the pitch and came around to score on Sal Stewart's single to deep right, giving Cincinnati a 2-0 lead it would never relinquish.
Series Clinched
The win gave the Reds the series in Texas with a game still to play on Sunday. After dropping a home series to the Pirates earlier in the week, this road trip has been exactly the reset Cincinnati needed.
The Reds go for the sweep on Sunday afternoon, looking to ride the momentum of back-to-back dominant pitching performances.
