Aristides Aquino entered the game for an injured Jonathan India and connected for his first career grand slam as the Cincinnati Reds blanked the visiting Colorado Rockies, 10-0, Sunday to earn a split of their doubleheader.
In the first game, CJ Cron hit his 25th homer of the season as the Rockies scored eight runs in the final three innings off the Cincinnati bullpen to capture an 8-4 win.
Aquino came on in the fifth inning of Game 2 after India fouled a ball directly off the inside of his left calf during his third plate appearance. On Aug. 11, he sustained a deep bruise to the outside of his left shin when he was hit by a pitch from Drew Smyly.
Aquino swung and missed on a strikeout that was charged to India, who went hitless in three official at-bats to bring an end to his 16-game hitting streak, the longest in the Majors. India clubbed a two-run homer in the eighth inning of Game 1 to extend his streak in his final at-bat before it ended in the second game.
Chase Anderson started for the Reds and did not allow a hit over his 2 2/3 innings while striking out four. But he had to work his way around four walks before Derek Law recorded the final out of the third inning.
Law (2-1) earned the win two scoreless innings, allowing three hits while striking out two and walking one. Ian Gibaut bailed Law of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth, one inning after the Reds broke on top with a five-run fourth. Charlie Blackmon, whose two-run, pinch-hit single broke a 2-2 tie in Game 1, flew out to center.
Gibaut, Dauri Moreta and Hunter Strickland combined to allow just one hit over the final 4 1/3 innings as five Cincinnati pitchers combined on the four-hit shutout.
Jake Fraley had an RBI double before Nick Senzel and Jose Barrero followed with run-scoring singles against Colorado starter and loser Jose Urena (3-6) to open Cincinnati’s five-run fourth. Urena was charged with seven runs — six earned — on eight hits over 5 1/3 innings. Aquino’s grand slam off Rockies reliever Chad Smith highlighted Cincinnati’s second five-run inning off game reliever Chad Smith.
After recording his first career two-homer game in Game 1, Cincinnati outfielder TJ Friedl had two more hits in the second game and finished 4-for-7 in the doubleheader.
Cincinnati took 2-of-3 from Colorado and finished 3-3 on their six-game homestand. Colorado ended its season-long 11-day, 10-game road trip 3-7.
–Field Level Media
