Andrew Abbott continued his impressive start to his major league career, leading the Cincinnati Reds to a 3-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday night. Matt McLain and TJ Friedl provided the offensive firepower with home runs, while Abbott delivered another quality start.

The win allowed Cincinnati to bounce back from a recent slump, snapping a three-game losing streak and reclaiming the top spot in the NL Central. Manager David Bell emphasized the importance of getting back on track and praised the team's overall performance.

A rain delay of over an hour and a half interrupted play after the seventh inning, but it didn't disrupt the Reds' momentum. Abbott, in his fifth career start, limited the Orioles to one run and two hits over six innings, striking out eight while walking three. His ERA, remarkably, rose slightly to 1.21.

The Reds' bullpen was equally effective. Lucas Sims navigated a difficult seventh inning, while Buck Farmer and Alexis Díaz finished the game. Díaz earned his 22nd save in as many opportunities, extending his streak of consecutive converted saves to 27, the longest active streak in baseball and just one shy of the Reds' club record.

The Orioles threatened in the ninth, loading the bases with two outs after a bizarre play involving Ryan O'Hearn getting caught between first and second. However, Díaz induced a game-ending lineout to center field from Austin Hays.

Baltimore's Tyler Wells pitched well in defeat, giving up two runs and four hits in six innings, but the Orioles' offense couldn't muster enough support. McLain's double tied the game in the fourth, his homer put the Reds ahead in the sixth, and Friedl added insurance with his solo shot in the eighth.

Jonathan India, the Reds' second baseman, made two key defensive plays, including a catch of a shallow fly ball and a tag out at second base to thwart a steal attempt. Bell highlighted the importance of India's defensive contributions.

The Reds made a roster move, designating Luke Wong for assignment and promoting Alec Mills from Triple-A Louisville. Baltimore's Austin Hays appeared to injure himself after running into the wall while attempting a catch, but he remained in the game.

The series concludes Wednesday night with a pitching matchup between Baltimore's Kyle Gibson and Cincinnati's Luke Weaver. Despite Weaver's recent struggles, the Reds have managed to win each of his last five starts.