Elly De La Cruz belted a two-run homer and Christian Encarnacion-Strand had three hits and drove in two runs to lead the Cincinnati Reds past the visiting Philadelphia Phillies, 8-1, on Tuesday.
De La Cruz started an inning-ending double play in the sixth and made an over-the-shoulder grab in left field in the seventh to add to his highlight-filled night.
Reliever Fernando Cruz (1-1) earned his first win of the season by working his way out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the fifth, retiring the two batters he faced.
It was a rare off night for Philadelphia starting pitching, as lefty Cristopher Sanchez (1-3) was victimized by poor fielding behind him.
Coming into Tuesday, Philadelphia starters had allowed just four runs over 51 2/3 innings amid a seven-game winning streak. The Phillies committed three errors behind Sanchez, who was charged with five runs (one earned) and four hits over a season-low three innings.
Alec Bohm doubled twice and drove in a run for the Phillies.
The Phillies grabbed a 1-0 lead off Cincinnati starter Andrew Abbott in the first when J.T. Realmuto and Bohm both doubled to left with two outs.
The Reds tied the game in the bottom of the inning after Stuart Fairchild reached on a mishandled grounder by third baseman Edmundo Sosa. Spencer Steer replaced Fairchild on the basepaths with a fielder’s choice, and Encarnacion-Strand doubled down the right field line to score Steer with the unearned run.
The Phillies committed two more errors in the third, leading to three unearned runs, as the Reds scored four times off Sanchez with two outs.
Tyler Stephenson scored on Cristian Pache’s throwing error from left field, and Nick Martini reached on an error by Bohm at first base that allowed two runs to score. Santiago Espinal closed out the inning with an RBI single to put Cincinnati up 5-1.
Abbott was cruising until he walked the bases loaded with none out in the fifth. After Abbott struck out Kyle Schwarber, Cruz came on to strike out Trea Turner and retire Realmuto on a liner to center.
Abbott fell two outs shy of qualifying for the win, allowing just one run and two hits over 4 1/3 innings. Abbott struck out three but walked four while throwing 79 pitches on the night.
In the bottom of the fifth, De La Cruz crushed a 96-mph fastball from reliever Yunior Marte to the seats in left for a two-run homer, his seventh long ball of the season.
Espinal capped his three-hit night with a solo homer in the eighth, his first home run of the season.
–Field Level Media
