Nick Lodolo's response might help quiet uproar surrounding oft-criticized Reds player

Late-night Reds was in full effect on Tuesday night, so a few of the Cincinnati faithful may have missed Jake Fraley's heroics during the bottom of the fifth inning. The Cincinnati Reds, in desperate need of a series win, left Oracle Park with a 1-0 victory over the San Francisco Giants thanks in large part to Fraley's defensive efforts.

In case you missed it, with the Reds nursing a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning, a runner on third base, and two outs, Giants' slugger Heliot Ramos laced a fly ball into deep right field. Fraley got on his horse and tracked the ball down, making an outstanding grab that preserved the Reds' one-run lead. It would prove to be the difference in the game, and Reds' starter Nick Lodolo knew it.

“That play by Fraley was … shoot, I mean, that won us the game," Lodolo said after the game. Fraley's catch certainly helped the Reds secure their first back-to-back wins of the season, though Lodolo's six scoreless innings and three more innings of shutout baseball from the bullpen also contributed to Cincinnati's 1-0 win.

Nick Lodolo's response might help quiet uproar surrounding oft-criticized Reds outfielder Jake Fraley

Amid all the roster moves on Tuesday, Fraley was spared of a trip back to the minor leagues — something that many Reds fans expected and were advocating for. Fraley has looked lost at the plate, and his horrific defensive miscue in right field during the Reds' series loss to the Milwaukee Brewers was utterly embarrassing.

But Reds manager Terry Francona has stuck by his outfielder, even going so far as to put him in the starting lineup on Tuesday despite the addition of the hot-hitting Will Benson to the active roster.

Fraley's game-saving catch will give him a reprieve — for the moment — but Reds fans still want to see an improvement at the plate before going all-in on the 29-year-old outfielder. The fans in Cincinnati want to see the version of Fraley that stepped into the batters' box during his first two seasons in the Queen City.

From 2022-23, Fraley hit.257/.341/.453 with 27 home runs and a 112 wRC+. But last season, Fraley saw a downturn in production while dealing with a heart-wrenching situation involving his young daughter. Thankfully that situation has seen a turn for the better, and Reds fans continue to hold out hope that Fraley's on-field exploits will do the same.

Maybe Tuesday's web gem will help Fraley's teammates and the fanbase to rally around him as the Reds look to sweep the Giants before returning to Great American Ball Park for a six-game homestand beginning on Friday.

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