Game 3 Preview: Reds vs. Red Sox Rubber Match (Sunday, 1:40 PM ET)

Game 3 Preview: Reds vs. Red Sox Rubber Match (Sunday, 1:40 PM ET)

Alright Toss Boss crew—this is the one. Series tied 1–1 and today’s rubber match at Great American Ball Park. The Reds dropped Game 1, then punched back in Game 2 with a 6–5 win in 11, and now it’s simple: win today, take the series.

The Basics

Boston Red Sox (1–1) at Cincinnati Reds (1–1)First pitch: 1:40 PM ET (Reds.TV / NESN nationally on MLB.TV)Probables: Connelly Early (LHP) vs. Rhett Lowder (RHP)Line: Red Sox favored around -142 | Total: 8 runs

Pitching Matchup: Lowder’s Chance to Set the Tone

Rhett Lowder gets the ball at home, and the assignment is clear: attack the zone early and keep Boston from getting comfortable. The Sox can run into one, but you can’t help them with free passes—especially with the way this park turns routine contact into trouble.

On the other side, Connelly Early is the lefty look for Boston. The Reds’ job is to make him feel every inning: right-side pressure, hard contact, and force Boston into bullpen decisions before this turns into a late coin flip.

Reds Bats to Watch

• Sal Stewart is coming in swinging a hot bat (.625 AVG, 1.250 SLG, 2 RBI). If the Reds get traffic, he’s the guy who can cash it.

• Elly De La Cruz is the game-changer. If he’s on base, the whole inning speeds up—one walk can turn into a run in a hurry.

Injury Reality Check

Cincinnati’s still missing key arms: Hunter Greene (60-day), Nick Lodolo (15-day), Caleb Ferguson (15-day). That makes it even more important to get length from Lowder and avoid a bullpen scramble.

Boston’s banged up too—Patrick Sandoval, Kutter Crawford, Triston Casas, Tanner Houck (plus others)—so there’s opportunity here if the Reds keep applying pressure and make the Sox cover outs with depth pieces.

Toss Boss Keys for the Reds

1. Win the first inning—home field means set the tone immediately.

2. Make Early work—deep counts, force him into the stretch, get to the pen.

3. Turn speed into runs—take the extra base, make their defense rush.

4. Clean baseball late—rubber matches get decided by one mistake.

Prediction (No Bias)

Reds 4, Red Sox 3Home-field edge plus Cincinnati’s speed/pressure style gives them a slight late-game advantage in what looks like another one-run type of finish.