PHOENIX (AP) — Spencer Steer hit a three-run homer in Cincinnati’s five-run eighth inning, and the Reds avoided a sweep by topping the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-1 on Sunday.
Austin Hays had three hits for Cincinnati, and Noelvi Marte had two hits and scored two runs. Brady Singer struck out nine while pitching six innings of one-hit ball.
The Reds (68-63) improved to 3-3 on a nine-game trip. They also moved within 1 1/2 games of the New York Mets for the third NL wild card.
Arizona wasted a sharp performance by Zac Gallen, who struck out seven in six innings. The Diamondbacks finished with two hits.
Marte sparked the decisive sequence for the Reds with a leadoff single against Kyle Backhus (0-3). He advanced on Elly De La Cruz’s flyout and scored on Hays’ tiebreaking single off Juan Burgos.
Following a Gavin Lux single, Steer hit a 397-foot drive to left for his 16th homer. TJ Friedl tacked on a two-out RBI single that gave Cincy a 6-1 lead.
Graham Ashcraft (8-5) pitched a scoreless inning for the win.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit a sacrifice fly in the first to account for Arizona’s only run. Cincinnati tied it in the sixth when Marte tripled and scored on a throwing error on Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo.
Key moment
Steer’s homer was a big swing for Cincinnati going into a three-game series against the Dodgers.
Key stat
For the eighth time this season, the Reds won the series finale while trailing 0-2. They are the only team in the majors that has not been swept this year.
Up next
Reds: RHP Hunter Greene (5-3, 2.63 ERA) starts on Monday night in his native Los Angeles against Dodgers RHP Emmet Sheehan (4-2, 4.17 ERA).
Diamondbacks: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (5-7, 5.40 ERA) faces Brewers RHP Brandon Woodruff (4-1, 2.47 ERA) on Monday night in Milwaukee.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
