Will Benson homers twice as Reds complete sweep of Guardians with 3-1 win
Updated: May. 18, 2025, 7:10 p.m.|Published: May. 18, 2025, 4:30 p.m.
By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com
CINCINNATI — Will Benson spent seven years in a Cleveland uniform as a first-round draft pick. He reached the big leagues in 2022, but his stay was short — 28 games to be exact.
This weekend at the Great American Ball Park, the Guardians caught a glimpse of why they spent their top pick in 2016 on the big left-handed hitter. There was one problem: He was playing for the Reds.
Benson hit two home runs Sunday as the Reds completed a three-game sweep of the Guardians with a 3-1 victory. Benson has now homered in four straight games going back to Wednesday against the White Sox.
In those four games, he’s hit five homers.
The Guardians have lost four straight, one shy of their longest losing streak of the season. The three-game sweep — the first by the Reds against Cleveland since June of 2012 — dropped the Guards into third place in the American League Central, 5 1/2 games behind first-place Detroit.
The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Benson hit a three-run homer in Friday night’s 5-4 win.
On Saturday, he hit a leadoff homer in the fifth in a 4-1 victory.
On Sunday afternoon it was all Benson again.
He singled with two out in the second off Luis Ortiz (2-5, 4.56). In the fourth, he hit a two-run homer off Ortiz’s 1-2 pitch for a 2-0 lead. In the sixth, he homered off Hunter Gaddis with two out for a 3-0 lead.
What kind of player is Benson? Last year with the Reds, 45% of his at-bats (154 of 343) ended in strikeouts. That resulted in 14 homers.
Cleveland traded Benson to the Reds in February of 2023 for a minor league outfielder Justin Boyd and cash. This season he did not make Cincinnati’s opening day roster, but right now he’s Cincinnati’s favorite son.
How could he not be after going 6 for 14 with four homers and seven RBI in the series?
“He doesn’t handle spin underneath nor fastballs up top,” said Guardians manager Stephen Vogt when asked about the game plan against Benson. “Again, he got three hanging sliders, and credit to him, he didn’t miss them.
“We need to execute better in those situations.”
Ortiz was a hard-luck loser. He struck out seven and allowed two runs in five innings. He’s struck out 16 in his last two starts, but the Guardians scored just one run in those two games.
“You can’t put your head down in those situations,” said Ortiz, through interpreter/coach Agustin Rivero. “You have to keep pushing and things will work out in the end.”
The Guardians, after scoring four runs in the series opener, were held to two runs in the next two games. They went 3 for 21 with runners in scoring position for the series. They were 2 for 16 on Sunday alone.
“I think the tale of the weekend is that they got a couple of big hits and we didn’t,” said Vogt. “It was a frustrating weekend no doubt. Three games we felt we could have won, no doubt. But we did a lot of good things as well.”
To make matters worse, their next seven games are against AL Central rivals Minnesota and Detroit. The Twins used a 13-game winning streak, which ended Sunday, to move into second place in the AL Central. The Tigers own the best record in the AL at 31-16.
“We knew this was going to be a tough trip coming into it,” said Vogt. “We’re not off to the best start, but we have a chance to rebound on Monday (against the Twins). That’s all you can ask for.”
The Guardians challenged Reds starter Andrew Abbott (3-0, 1.80) early in the game, but each time he escaped. The left-hander walked three and allowed four hits in five scoreless innings for the win.
The Guardians missed an opportunity in the first when they loaded the bases with one out.
Abbott hit Steven Kwan to start the game. He stole second, but Benson robbed José Ramírez of extra bases and an RBI with a fine running catch in right center field that sent Kwan to third.
Carlos Santana and Gabriel Arias worked Abbott for consecutive walks to load the bases. Abbott, however, escaped as he struck out Jhonkensy Noel and retired Angel Martinez on a liner to short.
Abbott has not allowed a hit in the first inning in his last nine starts.
Ortiz returned the favor in the bottom of the first. He walked TJ Friedl to start the inning and allowed a single to Santiago Espinal to put runners on first and second. But Elly De La Cruz hit into a 4-6-3 double play on a quick turn by Gabriel Arias, and Austin Hays grounded out.
The Guardians, however, continued to waste chances.
Will Wilson doubled to start the second, but Abbott set down the next three batters in order.
Ramírez started the third with a double to extend his hitting streak to 12 games, but Abbott picked him off second to kill the inning.
The Guardians scored their only run in the seventh on an infield single by Carlos Santana.
Emilio Pagan pitched the ninth to earn his third save in the series, but it was far from tension-free. Bo Naylor doubled and Ramírez beat out an infield single. But Pagan struck out Carlos Santana in a 10-pitch duel and struck out Will Brennan for his 12th save.
Next
The Guardians open a three-game series against the Twins on Monday night at Target Field. LHP Logan Allen (2-2, 3.70) will start for the Guardians, while RHP Bailey Ober (4-1, 3.72) starts for the Twins. Game time is 7:40 p.m. CLEGuardians.TV, WTAM/1100, WMMS/100.7 FM and the Guardians radio network will carry the game.
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