Reds rebound to beat Orioles behind rookie Andrew Abbott's strong outing

Fox News Flash top sports headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com.

Andrew Abbott has been quite an addition for a pitching-starved Cincinnati team.

Abbott was impressive on the mound again, and Matt McLain and TJ Friedl both homered to lift the Reds to a 3-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday night. McLain also hit an RBI double for the Reds, who rebounded from a 10-3 loss Monday night. Cincinnati had dropped three in a row following a 12-game winning streak.

"You want to get back on the winning track," said manager David Bell, whose team took the NL Central lead back from Milwaukee. "We still feel good about the way we're playing, but it's all about winning games."

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Andrew Abbott throws a pitch to the Baltimore Orioles in the second inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, June 27, 2023, in Baltimore.  (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Rain was a factor for a second straight night. The game was delayed for 1 hour, 43 minutes following the seventh inning.

Although they’ve played well of late, the Reds have one of the worst ERAs in baseball. Abbott (4-0) has done his part to improve that. He allowed a run and two hits in six innings in his fifth career start Tuesday. This outing actually raised his ERA slightly to 1.21. The rookie lefty struck out eight with three walks.

"Just go out and do a job as best you can each day," Abbott said.

Lucas Sims pitched a scoreless seventh despite two walks and a hit batter. Buck Farmer worked the eighth, and Alexis Díaz pitched a hitless ninth for his 22nd save in 22 chances. Díaz has converted 27 opportunities in a row, the longest active streak in the majors.

He's also one shy of