Christian Encarnacion-Strand hit a three-run homer in the five-run first inning and Gavin Lux blasted a grand slam in the eight-run fourth to lift the Cincinnati Reds to a 13-1 win against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks in the second game of their three-game series on Saturday afternoon.
Tyler Stephenson had three hits, an RBI and scored twice and Spencer Steer had two hits, two RBIs and scored a run for the Reds, who beat the Diamondbacks 4-3 in 10 innings earlier Saturday in a game that was suspended after six innings because of rain on Friday night.
The Reds’ Nick Martinez (5-6) took advantage of the early run support and went six innings, allowing one run and six hits while striking out six and walking one.
Arizona’s Ryne Nelson moved back into the starting rotation after former National League Cy Young Winner Corbin Burnes was lost to upcoming Tommy John surgery.
Nelson (2-2) got off to a rough start before going three-plus innings, allowing seven runs and four hits while striking out three and walking four.
Eugenio Suarez homered for Arizona, which has lost two in a row following a four-game winning streak.
Nelson walked two of the first three batters he faced before Encarnacion-Strand launched a three-run homer to left field for a 3-0 lead.
Encarnacion-Strand also homered on Friday in the opening game of the series, and delivered the walk-off single in the 10th inning when the game resumed on Saturday.
Nelson walked his third batter of the inning and Stephenson doubled to left to put runners on second and third. Steer then singled home a run to make it 4-0, and Jake Fraley brought home another with a fielder’s choice groundout for a 5-0 lead.
The Diamondbacks got a run back in the second when Suarez led off with a home run to cut the lead to 5-1.
Nelson settled in and retired seven in a row before the first two batters reached base in the fourth and he was replaced by Kendall Graveman, who gave up a bunt single and hit a batter to force in a run before Lux clubbed a grand slam to make it 10-1.
Cincinnati wasn’t through in the inning as Stephenson and Steer had consecutive RBI singles to make it 12-1, and another run scored on a groundout for a 13-1 lead.
–Field Level Media
