Carlos Cortes Homers Twice as Oakland Athletics Blank Cincinnati Reds 3-0 on September 12, 2025

Saturday, September 13th, 2025

Athletics Shut Out Reds 3-0 as Carlos Cortes Homers Twice

The Oakland Athletics secured a 3-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night, highlighted by Carlos Cortes’s two solo home runs and Lawrence Butler’s game-opening blast. The Athletics jumped ahead early and relied on a strong bullpen performance after starter J.T. Ginn left with an injury in the fifth inning.

Cortes and Butler Go Deep

Lawrence Butler set the tone immediately, launching his 20th home run of the season on Reds starter Brady Singer’s third pitch of the game. In the third inning, Carlos Cortes added to the lead with a solo homer off Singer. Cortes completed his power display with another solo shot off Chase Burns in the eighth inning, giving the Athletics all the offense they needed.

Ginn Exits Early, Bullpen Steps Up

J.T. Ginn left the game in the fifth inning due to an apparent leg injury after issuing consecutive walks to TJ Friedl and Gavin Lux. Tyler Ferguson entered in relief, retiring Elly De La Cruz on a soft liner and striking out Austin Hays to escape the jam. Ferguson went on to strike out three across 1 2/3 innings, earning his fourth win of the season. Sean Newcomb closed out the game with three strikeouts in the ninth, securing his fourth career save.

Singer Solid, Reds Offense Struggles

Brady Singer pitched six innings for Cincinnati, allowing two runs on three hits and a walk while striking out several batters. Chase Burns made his return after a five-week injury layoff, surrendering a home run to Cortes. The Reds struggled mightily with runners in scoring position, finishing 0 for 12 and putting the leadoff man on base in six out of nine innings without scoring.

De La Cruz Makes History

Elly De La Cruz singled in the third and stole his 35th base of the season. He joins an elite list of players—Delino DeShields, Vince Coleman, and Bert Daniels—as the only ones to reach 35 steals in each of their first three MLB seasons.

Key Moment

In the second inning, J.T. Ginn worked around a leadoff triple by Will Benson by striking out Spencer Steer, Ke’Bryan Hayes, and Matt McLain, keeping the Reds off the scoreboard and preserving the early lead.

Key Stat

The Cincinnati Reds went 0 for 12 with runners in scoring position and failed to capitalize despite getting the leadoff batter on base in six of nine innings.

Up Next

The series continues with Athletics right-hander Luis Severino (6-11, 4.67 ERA) scheduled to face off against Reds right-hander Hunter Greene (6-4, 2.59 ERA) on Saturday.

In summary

The Oakland Athletics topped the Cincinnati Reds 3-0, powered by home runs from Carlos Cortes and Lawrence Butler. Oakland’s bullpen shut the door after J.T. Ginn’s mid-game exit, and despite numerous chances, the Reds’ offense was stymied throughout the night. Elly De La Cruz made franchise history with his 35th stolen base of the season, but Cincinnati missed a vital opportunity to move closer in the NL wild card race. The series resumes as both teams look to make playoff pushes down the stretch.

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