Stephenson hits a grand slam in 6-run fifth as Reds rout Tigers 11-1

DETROIT (AP) — Tyler Stephenson hit a grand slam in a six-run fifth inning and the Cincinnati Reds beat the Detroit Tigers 11-1 on Saturday.

Elly De La Cruz, Spencer Steer and Matt McLain also homered for the Reds, who had been outscored 22-7 in the last two games.

The American League-leading Tigers are 4-2 in their last six games but have given up double-digit runs in each loss.

Brady Singer (7-4) got the win, giving up one run on four hits in six innings. He walked three while striking out four.

Jack Flaherty (5-7) allowed seven runs on five hits — including three homers — and five walks in 4 2/3 innings.

De La Cruz led off the fourth with a 110 mph line drive into the right-field stands for his second homer in as many days.

The Tigers tied the game in the bottom of the inning on Wenceel Pérez's RBI single, but the Reds answered with six runs in a 10-batter fifth.

Jake Fraley started the inning with a single, took second on TJ Friedl's one-out walk and scored on Gavin Lux's single. Flaherty then walked De La Cruz, loading the bases, and Stephenson hit his next pitch for his second career grand slam.

Flaherty retired the next batter, but Steer ended Flaherty's game with another homer.

McLain hit a three-run homer off John Brebbia in the eighth, and the Reds added a run off Tigers catcher Jake Rogers in the ninth.

Both teams got run-saving defensive plays in the third inning. In the top of the inning, Tigers 1B Colt Keith made a bare-handed stop after Gavin Lux's hard grounder deflected off the bag and recorded the final out with runners on first and second.

In the bottom of the inning, De La Cruz took Jake Fraley's throw from right and threw out Javier Báez at the plate as he tried to score on Trey Sweeney's double.

Flaherty has allowed a team-high 14 homers in his 14 starts — an average of 1.7 per nine innings.

The teams finish their series on Sunday, with Tigers RHP Sawyer Gipson-Long (0-0, 4.32) facing LHP Wade Miley (1-0, 9.00).

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Brady Singer throws against the Detroit Tigers in the first inning during a baseball game, Saturday, June 14, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Cincinnati Reds' Tyler Stephenson hits a grand slam against the Detroit Tigers in the fifth inning during a baseball game, Saturday, June 14, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Detroit Tigers pitcher Jack Flaherty reacts on the mound after allowing a Cincinnati Reds' Cincinnati Reds' Tyler Stephenson grand slam in the fifth inning during a baseball game, Saturday, June 14, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Cincinnati Reds' Tyler Stephenson, left, celebrates his grand slam against the Detroit Tigers in the fifth inning during a baseball game, Saturday, June 14, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Cincinnati Reds' Tyler Stephenson (37)celebrates his grand slam with Elly De La Cruz (44) against the Detroit Tigers in the fifth inning during a baseball game, Saturday, June 14, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is meeting with oil executives at the White House on Friday in hopes of securing $100 billion in investments to revive Venezuela’s ability to fully tap into its expansive reserves of petroleum — a plan that rides on their comfort in making commitments in a country plagued by instability, inflation and uncertainty.

Since the U.S. military raid to capture former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro on Saturday, Trump has quickly pivoted to portraying the move as a newfound economic opportunity for the U.S., seizing tankers carrying Venezuelan oil, saying the U.S. is taking over the sales of 30 million to 50 million barrels of previously sanctioned Venezuelan oil and will be controlling sales worldwide indefinitely.

On Friday, U.S. forces seized their fifth tanker over the past month that has been linked to Venezuelan oil. The action reflected the determination of the U.S. to fully control the exporting, refining and production of Venezuelan petroleum, a sign of the Trump administration's plans for ongoing involvement in the sector as it seeks commitments from private companies.

It's all part of a broader push by Trump to keep gasoline prices low. At a time when many Americans are concerned about affordability, the incursion in Venezuela melds Trump’s assertive use of presidential powers with an optical spectacle meant to convince Americans that he can bring down energy prices.

The meeting, set for 2:30 p.m. EST, will be open to the news media, according to an update to the president's daily schedule. “At least 100 Billion Dollars will be invested by BIG OIL, all of whom I will be meeting with today at The White House,” Trump said Friday in a pre-dawn social media post.

Trump is set to meet with executives from 17 oil companies, according to the White House. Among the companies attending are Chevron, which still operates in Venezuela, and ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips, which both had oil projects in the country that were lost as part of a 2007 nationalization of private businesses under Maduro’s predecessor, Hugo Chávez.

The president is meeting with a wide swath of domestic and international companies with interests ranging from construction to the commodity markets. Other companies slated to be at the meeting include Halliburton, Valero, Marathon, Shell, Singapore-based Trafigura, Italy-based Eni and Spain-based Repsol.

Large U.S. oil companies have so far largely refrained from affirming investments in Venezuela as contracts and guarantees need to be in place. Trump has suggested on social media that America would help to backstop any investments.

Venezuela’s oil production has slumped below one million barrels a day. Part of Trump's challenge to turn that around will be to convince oil companies that his administration has a stable relationship with Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodríguez, as well as protections for companies entering the market.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum are slated to attend the oil executives meeting, according to the White House.

Meanwhile, the United States and Venezuelan governments said Friday they were exploring the possibility of r estoring diplomatic relations between the two countries, and that a delegation from the Trump administration arrived to the South American nation on Friday.

The small team of U.S. diplomats and diplomatic security officials traveled to Venezuela to make a preliminary assessment about the potential re-opening of the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, the State Department said in a statement.

Trump also announced on Friday he’d meet with President Gustavo Petro in early February, but called on the Colombian leader to make quick progress on stemming flow of cocaine into the U.S.

Trump, following the ouster of Maduro, had made vague threats to take similar action against Petro. Trump abruptly changed his tone Wednesday about his Colombian counterpart after a friendly phone call in which he invited Petro to visit the White House.

President Donald Trump waves as he walks off stage after speaking to House Republican lawmakers during their annual policy retreat, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)