Cincinnati Reds Win On Walk-Off Balk, First Time Since 2018

One of the most peculiar walk-offs in MLB is the walk-off balk, which is exactly what happened in the bottom of the 10th inning between the Cincinnati Reds and Tampa Bay Rays tonight. The Reds came away 2-1 winners in extras.

Luck was on the side of the Cincinnati Reds tonight at Great American Ball Park as they took the opening game of their weekend series against the Tampa Bay Rays in the most interesting of ways.

After narrowly avoiding going down in the top of the 10th inning, throwing out a would-be go-ahead run in Francisco Mejia at the plate, the Reds got runners on the corners with one out.

Rays reliever Matt Wisler was on the mound, looking to induce an inning-ending double play, but the baseball gods had other plans in mind.

Tired: walk-off
Wired: balk-off pic.twitter.com/mIqkgL2wrP

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) July 9, 2022

The Reds became the first MLB team since 2018 to win on a walk-off balk and the Rays, for the first time in franchise history, lost on a walk-off balk.

Baseball fans know the arbitrary nature of a balk as even the slightest of movements can literally be the deciding factor in how a game ends.

We saw that in full effect tonight, but the Reds kept themselves in this game against one of the current AL Cy Young contenders in Shane McClanahan and shut down a Rays offense that had been rolling over the last five days or so.

Cincinnati allowed just one run and five hits to the Rays overall, striking out 11 batters in the process. Reds starter Luis Castillo was spectacular, striking out eight over seven innings of work.

Things don't get easier as the Reds still have two games against Tampa Bay left in their series, but this win was massive for a team that's had its fair share of struggles so far in 2022.