CINCINNATI (AP) — Will Benson had his first two-homer game, going deep for the fourth straight day to lead the Cincinnati Reds to a 3-1 victory on Sunday and their first three-game sweep of the Cleveland Guardians since 2012.
Benson followed Tyler Stephenson’s fourth-inning single with a 399-foot drive to right off L.L. Ortiz (2-5) then added a sixth-inning shot off Hunter Gaddis for his fifth home run this season. The Reds won their fourth straight and got back to .500 at 24-24.
Cleveland (25-21) has lost four in a row and the first three of a 10-game trip.
Andrew Abbott (3-0) allowed four hits and three walks in five shutout innings for his first win in five starts — despite giving up one earned run over 20 innings.
Emilio Pagán got a save for the third day in a row and 12th time in 14 chances. He gave up a leadoff double to Bo Naylor and a one-out infield hit to José Ramírez, then struck out Carlos Santana on a splitter on the 10th pitch of the at-bat and Will Brennan on three pitches, the last a splitter.
Carlos Santana hit a two-out RBI single in the seventh against Luis Mey.
Ortiz allowed six hits in five innings with seven strikeouts.
Ramírez went 2 for 5 and extending his hitting streak to 12 games.
Key moment
Abbott hit a batter and walked two, loading the bases with one out in the first, then struck out Jhonkensy Noel and retired Angel Martínez on a lineout. He became the first Reds starter to not allow a hit in the first inning of his first nine starts since Jim Maloney in 1969.
Key stat
Benson’s streak of games with home runs is the longest for the Reds since Joey Votto homered in seven straight games in 2021.
Up next
Guardians LHP Logan Allen (2-2, 3.70) starts Monday’s opener of a three-game series with the Twins against RHP Bailey Ober (4-1, 3.72).
Reds LHP Nick Lodolo (3-4, 3.42) starts Monday at the Pirates and RHP Mitch Keller (1-5, 4.15 ERA).
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