Why did Reds stop skid vs Padres?

Reds snap five-game skid with extra-inning win

The Cincinnati Reds ended a difficult stretch by beating the San Diego Padres 5-3 in an 11th-inning decision. The win mattered because it stopped a five-game losing streak, giving the Reds their way back into the win column after a run in which they struggled to turn late chances into results.

The game was defined by endurance and timing. Cincinnati pushed the contest deep into extra innings, setting up the late swing that finally broke through. The decisive moment came when Sal Stewart delivered a tiebreaking two-run home run in the top of the 11th.

That single swing did two things at once: it erased San Diego’s hope of maintaining control into the later stages, and it created enough cushion for the Reds to finish the job. In close postseason-like baseball, those extra-inning innings often come down to who can score first once the game slows and pitching tightens—here, it was Cincinnati.

For the Padres, the loss underscores how costly it is to squander opportunities late. The matchup went long, and once the Reds found the sequence that produced runs, San Diego couldn’t respond quickly enough to take back the lead.

Overall, the key takeaway is straightforward: the Reds’ skid ended because Stewart powered the offense at the moment it mattered most, turning a tie into the difference that made the final score 5-3.