Before a game between Cleveland and the Rays, Cash stole Francona’s coveted motor scooter and put it in the infield for batting practice, where Tampa Bay’s C.J. Cron struck it. Although Francona rags on Cash in the public eye, the Reds skipper insists that it is all tough love.

Martinez went on to say the trade deadline was motivation for the 2025 Reds, who stood at 54-50 after Friday's victory and one game back of the San Diego Padres for the third National League Wild Card spot.

Tyler Stephenson homered and drove in three runs and Nick Martinez struck out five in five innings as the Cincinnati Reds beat the Tampa Bay Rays 7-2.

Preview the July 26 matchup between the Cincinnati Reds and Tampa Bay Rays with recent trends, how to watch, livestream info, and more.

As they drop to 3-4 since the All-Star break, starter Zack Littell says, “we’re kind of beating ourselves right now.”

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The managers became close when Cash played for the Red Sox, and they keep trying to one-up each other with pregame hijinks.

Trade Deadline winds are blowing stronger with moves starting to happen around Major League Baseball the past couple of days. For the Reds, the time is ripe for catching a breeze to both stay in the postseason hunt and position themselves for dealing before Thursday.