Cards rookie Bryan Torres strives for more magic vs. Reds

Regardless of what happens when the Cincinnati Reds host the St. Louis Cardinals in the rubber game of their three-game series on Sunday afternoon, it will be hard to top the heartwarming debut of rookie Bryan Torres.

The National League Central rivals played for the first time this season on Saturday and split a doubleheader. St. Louis won the first game 8-1, and Cincinnati prevailed 7-6 in 11 innings in the nightcap.

The Cardinals called up Torres, 28, from the minors on Friday to make his long-awaited major league debut following an injury to fellow outfielder Nathan Church (left-shoulder strain).

Torres, signed by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2015, spent five-plus seasons in the minor leagues in the United States -- plus played in games in many locations in the Dominican Summer League, Puerto Rican Winter League and the independent leagues -- waiting for his chance. He was signed as a minor league free agent by St. Louis in 2023 and was leading the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds with a .336 batting average when he was called up.

In the first game of the doubleheader, Torres walked in his first plate appearance, singled in the fourth inning and hit a two-run homer in the ninth. He went 2-for-4 and made a nice catch in left field. In the nightcap he was 1-for-4 with a walk.

"Eleven years to get to here," Torres said. "I'm not a homer guy. Today, my debut, it just happened. I've been learning to manage the pressure. When the heart is going too fast, you have to slow things down. I felt a little pounding in my chest today."

Of Torres' day, St. Louis manager Oliver Marmol said: "That was awesome. That guy's waited a long time to get his shot. You talk about being resilient and, even before the game started, you could tell he was locked in and just having a good time. That was fun."

The other offensive star for St. Louis on Saturday was right fielder Jordan Walker, who was 4-for-9 with two homers, three runs and seven RBIs.

For Cincinnati, Elly De La Cruz snapped a 1-for-17 streak when he crushed a three-run homer in the second game, and Nathaniel Lowe hit a pair of home runs for the day.

The pitching matchup for the series finale will pit Cincinnati right-hander Brady Singer (2-4, 6.26 ERA) against St. Louis southpaw Matthew Liberatore (2-2, 4.70).

Singer did not pitch well in his most recent outing, a 10-3 loss at Cleveland on May 17. He pitched four innings and allowed five runs on seven hits -- including three home runs -- and one walk, striking out six. He had worked just 3 2/3 innings in his previous start -- a 10-4 loss to the Washington Nationals on May 12 -- after being struck on the right ankle by a line drive in the second inning, but he didn't use the injury as an excuse.

"I was able to get to strikes. That's what I wanted to do," Singer said. "But I wasn't able to put them away. The ankle is fine. I didn't feel it when I was pitching."

Reds manager Terry Francona said it wasn't an easy outing for Singer.

"He had to work for everything, and when he missed, he paid the price," Francona said.

Singer has made five career starts against St. Louis, going 2-3 with a 3.04 ERA.

Liberatore was roughed up by the Pittsburgh Pirates in his most recent start on Tuesday, giving up four runs on seven hits and two walks in 4 2/3 innings. He tied a career high with nine strikeouts. The Cardinals won 9-6 in 10 innings, but Liberatore didn't figure into the decision.

Liberatore has made 10 career appearances against the Reds, three of them starts, going 1-1 with a 3.32 ERA.

--Field Level Media