Sean LeahyContributing writerWed, April 29, 2026 at 2:00 PM UTC·2 min readThe rules are simple: If Cincinnati Reds pitchers combine for 11 strikeouts during any 2026 home game, every fan in attendance wins a free small one-topping pizza from LaRosa's Family Pizzeria.
The first time fans were rewarded from the “Strikeouts for Slices” promotion was during Sunday's 8-3 loss to the Detroit Tigers. Rhett Lowder, Brock Burke, Sam Moll, Pierce Johnson, and Jose Franco combined for 12 strikeouts in the defeat.
It happened again on Tuesday night, but this time it happened in much more dramatic fashion.
Chase Burns, Graham Ashcraft and Tony Santillan had combined for 10 strikeouts through eight innings with the Reds up 7-2 over the Colorado Rockies. Come the ninth inning, it was Burke’s responsibility to not only close out the game, but get one strikeout to ensure pizza pandemonium.
Edouard Julien faced a 1-2 count when the next pitch was called a ball by home plate umpire Carlos Torres. Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson immediate tapped his helmet twice to signal an ABS challenge. As the fans inside Great American Ballpark awaited to see the location graphic of the pitch, you could slice the tension in the stadium with a pizza cutter.
First ever recorded ABS pizza challenge in Cincinnati @ATBBTTR @RedsDaily4 @Nati_Sports pic.twitter.com/wBDzhTyTqJ
Reds play-by-play announcer John Sadak did his job in building up to the reveal that it was indeed a strike.
“Stevenson’s won one tonight, can he win pizza for those in the stands?” Sadak said. “The crowd ready to burst. That’s a strike! Pizza for everybody!”
Stephenson has had success with ABS challenges this season, winning 67% (10-for-15) of the time as a catcher and all three while he’s been batting.