BOSTON –– Recently, Cincinnati Reds infielder Spencer Steer asked manager David Bell if he should start practicing in the outfield. Steer sees the wave of top infield prospects moving up through the minor leagues, and he wants to do everything in his control to hold onto his starting spot.
A few days after that conversation, Bell approached Steer and said, “I don’t take for granted what we’ve asked you to do.” The position that Steer will play in the future is still a question, but there’s no doubt that Steer has a big role in the Reds’ long-term plans.
Steer blasted the go-ahead home run in the top of the seventh inning on Wednesday as the Reds beat the Boston Red Sox, 5-4, at Fenway Park. Steer has a team-high eight home runs this season, and no one on the Reds has more than five.
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Steer has been one of the best rookies in baseball this season. Even though he was a third-round draft pick and even though the Minnesota Twins dealt him to the Reds, Steer has shown that he’s the type of hitter that a team can build a lineup around. The Reds view Steer as an anchor in the middle of their lineup down the road.
Steer prioritizes a consistent line drive approach over trying to hit for power. But his home run over the Green Monster, which gave the Reds a 5-3 lead, showed Steer’s upside.
The Reds have had a rotating cast of key contributors who have stepped up during the team’s best stretch of baseball since 2021. One day, Jonathan India will hit two homers. The next, Jake Fraley will drive in a handful of runs. Nick Senzel will spark the offense with a multi-hit game. Matt McLain hasn’t stopped hitting since he got called up to MLB. In Tuesday’s win over the Red Sox, Jose Barrero and Will Benson powered the offense.
Steer was back in the spotlight on Wednesday, showing again what makes him such an important piece of the Reds’ lineup.
After the home run by Steer, the Red Sox loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh inning. Reds reliever Alex Young forced Red Sox first baseman Justin Turner to hit a ground ball up the middle. Reds shortstop Matt McLain showed his terrific range and arm to field the slow chopper and get the out and end the inning.
Following Wednesday’s win, the Reds aren’t just back in the mix in the NL Central. They have a chance to be in first place by the end of the weekend.
Takeaways from Reds vs. Red Sox
1. The Green Monster loomed large for Reds starting pitcher Luke Weaver, whose start was shaped by the dimensions of Fenway Park. Red Sox second baseman Enmanuel Valdez’s home run would have only gone over the fence in two out of 30 MLB ballparks. Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers hit a high fly ball off the left field wall that would have been a fly out in most parks. At Fenway, Devers got an RBI double. Weaver allowed three runs in 5 ⅔ innings. He worked out of a few jams, kept an efficient pitch count and had a great fastball that the Red Sox struggled squaring up.
2. The fifth inning was the Reds’ best chance to break through against Red Sox starting pitcher James Paxton, a 10-year veteran who looked like he was back in his prime on Wednesday. Paxton entered the game with a 5.14 ERA, and he had only pitched in nine total games since the end of the 2019 season. Against the Reds, Paxton only allowed one run on four hits across five innings. Catcher Luke Maile hit a double off the top of the left field wall, a few feet away from a game-tying homer. Paxton totaled eight strikeouts, overpowering the Reds’ lineup with his velocity and a devastating knuckle curve as he allowed just one run.
3. The Reds have needed Nick Senzel to move all around the field this season, and he has been an impact defender at every position. On Wednesday, he made a leaping catch as he backpedaled in left field. Later in the game, he made a perfect throw to almost put out the runner at second base. Senzel added an RBI single, continuing his stretch as one of the Reds’ most productive players.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Spencer Steer powers the Reds to a win over the Red Sox