CINCINNATI (AP) — Spencer Steer hit a game-winning two-run home run in the 11th inning and the Cincinnati Reds overcame Alexis Díaz’s first blown save of the season in a wild 7-5 win over the stumbling San Diego Padres on Friday.
Elly De La Cruz doubled to drive in Jonathan India with the tying run and De La Cruz tried to score from third on Nick Senzel’s grounder to third off Drew Carlton, but was called out because he touched catcher Gary Sánchez’s left foot — a call that survived video review. Steer followed with his homer off Drew Carlton (2-1).
Sánchez drove in Xander Bogaerts from second base in the top of the 11th inning to put the Padres up 5-4, but they couldn’t avoid their sixth straight loss.
David Duarte (1-0) got the final out of the 11th for his first career win for the Reds.
Matt McLain extended the game with a two-out, two-run shot to center field against Ray Kerr in the bottom of the 10th after San Diego got RBI hits from Fernando Tatis Jr. and Juan Soto in the top of the inning.
Matt Carpenter hit a game-tying sacrifice fly in the ninth, stopping Díaz’s streak at 23 consecutive saves.
Tyler Stephenson broke up a tight pitchers’ duel with a tiebreaking home run off Brent Honeywell in the seventh.
The first two Padres reached base against Díaz in the ninth and moved up on Sánchez’s deep fly to left, setting up Carpenter’s tying fly.
The first-place Reds reached San Diego starter Seth Lugo, who filled in for the ill Yu Darvish, for five hits and one unearned run with six strikeouts over six innings. Reds right-hander Graham Ashcraft tied his season high with seven strikeouts while lasting 6 2/3 innings. He allowed only Trent Grisham’s sixth-inning leadoff home run among three hits and two walks.
Grisham’s shot was his second in two games.
With a gametime temperature of 88 degrees and high humidity, both starting pitchers opened with five scoreless innings.
The Reds capitalized on Grisham’s two-out, two-base error of De La Cruz’s fly ball with Jake Fraley’s soft, game tying single to center. Grisham appeared to be distracted by left fielder Juan Soto.
The starters got help from their defense. Padres third baseman Manny Machado dove to his right to make a backhand stab of De La Cruz’s low line drive of the first pitch of the bottom of the second inning. Reds center fielder TJ Friedl made a leaping, over-the-shoulder catch of Sánchez’s fifth-inning leadoff line drive.
STARTING EARLIER
The first pitch was moved up two hours to 5:10 p.m. to help avoid congestion caused by the Reds crowd of 31,772 and a sold-out Taylor Swift concert at nearby Paycor Stadium.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Padres: RHP Michael Wacha (right shoulder fatigue) will likely start Saturday’s game after missing one start. … LHP Tom Cosgrove (left hamstring strain) is expected to be activated this weekend.
Reds: LHP Nick Lodolo (left tibia stress reaction) is expected to remove his boot on Monday after a positive MRI on Wednesday. He is due to report to Arizona to begin a rehab assignment. ... RHP Ben Lively (right pectoral strain) is on track to start a game before the All-Star break.
UP NEXT
Wacha is expected to be opposed by LHP Brandon Williamson (1-1).
