Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona returned to American Family Field on Saturday with his full roster after missing the previous game due to what he humorously called “intestinal turmoil.”
However, Francona was cautious about claiming his team was at full strength.
“I don’t think I’ve been 100% since 1988,” Francona said before the game against the Milwaukee Brewers. “I feel good enough to be here. It’s not a good feeling not being here.”
The stomach issues kept Francona, first-base coach Collin Cowgill, and several players out on Friday, when the Reds lost 3-2 to the Brewers, marking their fourth consecutive loss. Bench coach Freddie Benavides stepped in as manager while Francona stayed at the team hotel.
While the Reds didn’t specify which players were unavailable, Francona mentioned that reserve outfielder Jacob Hurtubise was likely the one feeling the worst.
“Everybody’s here,” Francona said. “I think some guys feel like they’ve been hit by a truck, like I did, but we’re OK.”
Francona was eager to watch the game in person after struggling to follow along the night before. He listened to a radio broadcast but was frustrated by how delayed the audio was compared to the play-by-play on apps.
“I listened on my phone and followed along because that was the only way I could get it,” Francona explained. “I thought I had the baseball package on my phone, but it wasn’t letting me do it. I did the best I could.”
Unfortunately, he likely didn’t enjoy much of what he heard. The Reds were hitless for the first 6 2/3 innings, ending a 35-inning scoreless streak by scoring two runs in the eighth. The streak was their longest since 1946, when they went 37 consecutive innings without scoring.
