Tyler Stephenson was the Reds’ hidden hero in a walk-off win

The heroes for the Cincinnati Reds on Monday night were Dane Myers, who hit the game-tying pinch-hit homer with two outs in the ninth inning, and Elly De La Cruz, who in the 10th inning delivered the first walk-off of his big league career.

But none of it would have happened without catcher Tyler Stephenson, who opened Game 2 of Monday’s doubleheader on the bench and didn’t record a hit.

It was a long day for him, but it was worth it in the end as the Reds beat the Cardinals, 6-5, with Stephenson scoring the game-winning run.

“Every day, even days I’m not playing, I’m always prepping to be ready,” Stephenson said. “You never know. Even in a doubleheader, I’m always prepping myself until (Terry Francona) says otherwise.”

In the bottom of the ninth of Game 2, Myers pinch-hit for Jose Trevino. The move was only a possibility because Stephenson was available to replace Trevino defensively and catch in extra innings — even after Stephenson had caught all nine innings in sweltering heat in Game 1 while calling pitches for a starting pitcher (Kent Emanuel) whom Stephenson had never met before today.

Stephenson has now caught the second-most games (96) in all of baseball this season.

“He’s always ready,” Terry Francona said. “The days that he doesn’t catch, and he has caught a lot, if you come out here early, he’s always out here throwing and he’s the first one in the dugout.”

Stephenson is on pace to catch 124 games this season. Since the start of the 2021 season, just 11 catchers have been behind the plate for at least 124 games in a single season (one of them was Stephenson in 2024).

“I enjoy it,” Stephenson said. “It’s definitely a lot. But the process and everything that goes into it behind the scenes to get my body right, I do everything I can. I don’t feel great every day, but that’s the nature of 162.”

When he enters a game off the bench like he did on Monday night, he says that his experiences at the start of his career shape his readiness. As a rookie in 2021, Stephenson was the Reds’ backup catcher and go-to pinch-hitter. He learned right away in the big leagues how to get ready for a late-game opportunity. He can tap back into those skills now in a situation where he comes off the bench.

Because he took a game-full of at-bats in the afternoon on Monday during Game 1, he didn’t take quite as many swings in the batting cages during the game and conserved some energy. He scaled it back a bit, but he still got done the prep work that he needed in case he was called upon to enter the game.

“If you’re always ready,” Stephenson said, “You’ll never be surprised.”

After Myers pinch-hit for Trevino in the ninth inning in Game-2, Stephenson entered the game as a pinch-hitter for No. 9 hitter TJ Friedl (Myers and Stephenson went to their proper positions for the top of the following inning). Stephenson flew out to end the ninth inning. Then after catching a scoreless 10th inning, Stephenson had to go out to second base to be the Reds’ automatic runner for the bottom of the 10th inning.

Stephenson said his mindset on second base was “be smart and don’t get doubled off. Just advance. Don’t try to make a miracle.”

De La Cruz smoked a ground ball to third base that was deflected by the third baseman. Stephenson’s first step was back to second base as the ball ricocheted into the outfield.

“Once I saw it good throw, I could score easily,” “Stephenson said. “I just wanted to be smart on the bases.”

It was another memorable moment in the best stretch that Stephenson has had in his six-year career.

He has been hot since the middle of June, and he has a .906 OPS over his last 30 games.

His biggest accomplishment on Monday may have been his work in Game 1 with Emanuel, who was in Indy ball a couple of weeks ago and ended up making a solid spot start for the Reds.

Stephenson’s availability is one of his biggest assets.

He made himself available on a long, hot day on Monday. The Reds won Game 2 of the doubleheader because of it.