Tejay Antone calling clutch moment shows he should be permanent fixture in Reds’ TV booth

It's time for Tejay Antone to become a permanent part of the Bally Sports broadcast crew. Earlier this season, Antone correctly predicted that Cincinnati Reds reliever Fernando Cruz would throw an unhittable pitch to Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner. Cruz's two-strike split-finger fastball was swung on and missed by the Phillies' All-Star.

Antone did one better on Thursday afternoon at Great American Ball Park. While rehabbing from surgery, Antone made another trip to the Reds broadcast booth to join John Sadak and Barry Larkin. What unfolded in the sixth inning was unreal.

Latest prognostication proves Tejay Antone should be permanent fixture in Reds' TV booth

With Spencer Steer leading off in the bottom of the sixth inning and the Reds trailing the San Diego Padres 4-2, Antone began talking about the homer-friendly confines of GABP. The Reds reliever said, "Hopefully this inning we can get a runner on and then tie it up."

Upon saying that, Padres reliever Enyel De Los Santos delivered a 3-2 pitch that missed the strike zone and allowed Steer to walk down to first base. The next batter was the recently recalled Nick Martini.

Martini took the first pitch right down the middle for a strike, but uncorked on the 0-1 offering from De Los Santos and sent it over the wall in right field to tie the game. It was Martini's first round-tripper since returning from his tuneup down in the minor leagues.

After the ball landed in the right field bleachers, Antone said, "Called it." That he did. Hilariously, Sadak bid farewell to Antone the inning prior, assuming his time in the broadcast booth was up. But Antone wanted to stick around for one more inning. After this latest prediction, Antone needs to have a front row seat in the press box for every single Reds game until the end of the 2024 season.

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