The Reds are rolling, and their manager is happy about it.
The Cincinnati Reds are making a habit of refusing to lose. Sunday's 7-4 comeback win over the Minnesota Twins in 10 innings capped off a three-game sweep at Target Field from a team that simply will not go away.
Cincinnati sits at 14-8 and holds sole possession of first place in the NL Central, while Minnesota dropped to 11-11 after getting swept.
After the game, manager Terry Francona didn't overthink things when asked about what keeps driving his group.
"I don't know, man. Keep playing," Francona said. "I know I said that before, but our game is so much about how you handle frustration. We didn't have a whole lot going on and then they kept plugging away and giving us a chance."
A Ninth Inning to Remember
That plugging away showed up in the ninth when the Reds trailed 3-1 and looked like they were heading for their first loss of the series.
Spencer Steer and Tyler Stephenson opened the frame with back-to-back singles against rookie Andrew Morris, and Dane Myers drew a walk to load the bases.
Then T.J. Friedl stepped up and lined a go-ahead, three-run double to right-center.
Francona singled out Friedl after the win.
"T.J. with a huge hit. I know that had to feel good for him," Francona said. "This was another game where you cleared the bench and it was all hands on deck."
Extras and Heart
The Twins tied things up in the bottom of the ninth on an Austin Martin RBI double, but Cincinnati was far from finished.
In the 10th, Eugenio Suarez hit a grounder that deflected off third baseman Tristan Gray's glove for an error, and Rece Hinds delivered a clutch two-out, two-run double to blow the game open.
"In the 10th, there's two guys that have been slighted that all of a sudden come through," Francona said. "That's baseball, right?"
Why Cincinnati Keeps Winning
The sweep was part of a bigger picture for a Reds team that has outperformed just about every preseason projection.
Cincinnati is now 11-0 in games decided by three runs or fewer, including a perfect 6-0 in one-run games.
That record in close games is a big reason they are leading the division despite dealing with injuries to Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo on the pitching side.
The Twins' pitching staff actually did its job in the series, with Minnesota starters giving up only three earned runs across 18-plus innings.
But the bats went just 6-for-35 with runners in scoring position, and the bullpen could not hold late leads.
Cincinnati heads to Tampa Bay on Monday while the Twins travel to New York.
If the first few weeks are any sign, this Reds team is not going to be easy to put away.