The visiting Cincinnati Reds scored five runs in the fifth inning as they overcame a six-run deficit to defeat the Toronto Blue Jays 11-7 on Wednesday night in the finale of a three-game series.
Cincinnati’s Elly De La Cruz stole third base in the fifth, his 60th theft of the season, hit his 22nd homer in the eighth and finished with three RBIs. He is the fifth player since 1901 to have 60 steals and 20 homers in a season.
Spencer Steer stroked a two-run homer for the Reds. Noelvi Marte and Jonathan India added solo shots.
Ernie Clement hit a three-run homer, Spencer Horwitz hit a two-run blast and George Springer had a solo shot for Toronto.
Toronto starter Yariel Rodriguez allowed five runs on six hits and two walks in 4 1/3 innings. He finished with six strikeouts.
Cincinnati right-hander Nick Martinez yielded six runs on six hits with three walks and three strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings.
Emilio Pagan (3-3) pitched 1 1/3 hitless innings to earn the win.
Springer led off the home first with his 17th homer of the season and third in two games. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. then walked and Horwitz followed with his eighth homer to give the Blue Jays a 3-0 lead.
In the third inning, Daulton Varsho hit a one-out single that extended his on-base streak to 19 games. Horwitz then walked and Clement crushed his ninth homer of the season to increase the lead to 6-0.
Tyler Stephenson singled in the fourth and scored on Steer’s 19th homer to cut the Reds’ deficit to 6-2.
Cincinnati scored five in the fifth. Santiago Espinal, Marte and India singled, prompting the Blue Jays to bring in Brendon Little (1-2). After a double steal, De La Cruz hit a two-run single. De La Cruz took second on a wild pitch, stole third and beat the throw home on Stephenson’s grounder to shortstop.
Steer reached first on second baseman Leo Jimenez’s error. Erik Swanson took over and hit Ty France with a pitch to load the bases. Espinal walked, forcing in a run and giving Cincinnati a 7-6 lead.
Tony Santillan replaced Martinez in the home fifth after Horwitz doubled. Santillan pitched around a walk and an error that loaded the bases.
Marte (No. 4) and India (No. 12) homered against Swanson to open the sixth. De La Cruz walked and scored on Stephenson’s double.
De La Cruz led off the eighth with a homer against Zach Pop.
Jimenez hit an RBI double against Fernando Cruz in the ninth to make it 11-7.
–Field Level Media
