The Cincinnati Reds erased a three-run deficit and pulled away for a 7-3 comeback victory over the San Diego Padres at Great American Ball Park on Wednesday, September 2, 2026. Juan Brito delivered the biggest blow of the night with a home run and three RBI, while JJ Bleday went 3-for-4 with a solo shot and two RBI to lead a 12-hit Cincinnati attack. Brandon Williamson earned the win despite a rocky start, and four Reds relievers shut the door on a Padres lineup that had no answer after the sixth inning.

Reds Offense Erupts After Falling Behind Early

San Diego drew first blood and built a lead that had Great American Ball Park quiet early, but the Reds offense refused to fold. Casey Mize lasted just four innings for the Padres, allowing four earned runs on five hits with four strikeouts before Cincinnati's bats chased him from the game. The Reds kept piling on against the San Diego bullpen, tagging Wandy Peralta for an additional earned run in 1.1 innings and Kyle Hart for another in 0.2 innings to push the final margin to four.

Bleday was the standout at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBI. Dane Myers also went 3-for-4, providing consistent contact at the top of the order and keeping innings alive. Elly De La Cruz went 2-for-4, continuing to make hard contact. Brito's one-swing damage — a three-RBI home run off the San Diego bullpen — was the decisive moment that turned a tight game into a comfortable Cincinnati win.

Turning Point: Brito's Three-Run Home Run

With the Reds clawing back into the game, Juan Brito stepped up and changed the complexion of the night entirely with a three-run blast that gave Cincinnati the lead for good. That swing turned a deficit into a cushion and put the Padres' depleted bullpen in an impossible position. Héctor Rodríguez also contributed a solo home run, giving the Reds four players who went deep or drove in multiple runs across the lineup.

On the Padres' side, Ty France was the lone real threat, going 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI. Fernando Tatis Jr. went 2-for-4 with an RBI, and Xander Bogaerts collected two hits, but San Diego could not string enough together once the Cincinnati bullpen took over.

Williamson Gets the Win; Bullpen Locks It Down

Brandon Williamson was far from sharp — he allowed seven hits and three earned runs over 5.1 innings — but he kept the Reds close enough for the offense to bail him out, and that earns him the win. He struck out five and walked two. The performance is a qualified positive: Williamson gave his team a chance, which is exactly what a rotation piece needs to do.

The bullpen was the real story on the mound. Pierce Johnson, Tejay Antone, Tony Santillan, and Emilio Pagán combined to throw 3.2 scoreless innings, allowing zero hits and striking out four. Antone was particularly sharp with two strikeouts in a clean inning of work. Pagán closed it out with a 1-2-3 ninth to seal the final score.

Reds Boxscore Highlights

Cincinnati Hitting

  • JJ Bleday: 3-for-4, 1 HR, 2 RBI
  • Dane Myers: 3-for-4
  • Juan Brito: 1-for-3, 1 HR, 3 RBI
  • Elly De La Cruz: 2-for-4
  • Héctor Rodríguez: 1-for-5, 1 HR, 1 RBI

Cincinnati Pitching

  • Brandon Williamson (W): 5.1 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
  • Pierce Johnson: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 K
  • Tejay Antone: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
  • Tony Santillan: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
  • Emilio Pagán: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 K

What's Next

The Reds remain at Great American Ball Park to continue this series against the Padres. Wednesday's win demonstrated that this Cincinnati lineup has the depth to come back from multi-run deficits, and the bullpen showed it can protect a lead when the offense provides one. San Diego will be looking to respond, making the next game in this series one worth watching closely.