Reds Stun Royals in Spring Training Thriller: Ninth-Inning Walk-Off Secures 5–4 Victory

The Reds spent the afternoon in Goodyear taking Kansas City’s early power—and then flipped the script late, walking off the Royals 5–4 in a spring training comeback that had a little bit of everything: tape-measure shots, a momentum-swinging fifth, and a ninth-inning rally that refused to quit.

Early hole, no panic

The Royals struck first with Josh Rojas’ two-run homer in the second, then added on in the fourth when Jac Caglianone launched a 460-foot solo blast to center. Kansas City’s fourth run came on a Rojas double that turned into trouble thanks to a fielding error by Noelvi Marte in right, pushing the lead to 4–1.

Cincinnati answered in the second without needing a big swing—working traffic on the bases and cashing in on TJ Friedl’s RBI fielder’s choice to get on the board.

The fifth-inning spark: back-to-back thunder

If the Reds needed a jolt, they got it in stereo. Elly De La Cruz crushed a homer to center, and Eugenio Suárez followed immediately with one of his own to left-center. Two swings, two runs—suddenly it was 4–3, and the entire game felt different.

Ninth inning: the rally that finished it

Down a run in the bottom of the ninth, the Reds put together the kind of inning you love to see in February: consecutive hits, constant pressure, and no wasted at-bats. The tying run came home on Edwin Arroyo’s single, and the walk-off was delivered by Michael Toglia, who punched a single to right to bring in the winner and seal the 5–4 comeback.

Quick hits

• Cincinnati erased a 4–1 deficit with power and persistence.

• The game turned on the De La Cruz–Suárez back-to-back homers in the fifth.

• The Royals were mostly quiet after the early damage; the Reds stranded runners, but delivered when it counted.

• T. Kuncl picked up the win with a clean ninth; J. Heasley took the loss after the walk-off rally.

— @MrTossBoss