Nick Martini, Jonathan India and Spencer Steer homered in the first five innings as the visiting Cincinnati Reds beat the New York Yankees 8-4 to complete a three-game sweep on Thursday afternoon.
The Reds, who never trailed in the series, became the first National League team to sweep a road series of at least three games against the Yankees since interleague play started in 1997. The Yankees were swept for the sixth time in an interleague series of at least three games.
Martini and Jonathan India hit solo homers in the second and third off New York’s Marcus Stroman (7-4) as the Reds won for the fifth time in seven games. Spencer Steer blasted a three-run homer off Stroman in the fifth as the Reds went deep seven times in the series.
Jake Fraley added a bases-clearing triple to center in the seventh as the Reds sent the Yankees to their 13th loss in 17 games.
Former Yankees pitcher Frankie Montas (4-6) allowed two runs on four hits in five-plus innings for his first win since June 4. Montas took a shutout into the fifth before allowing solo homers to Austin Wells and rookie Ben Rice.
Montas struck out four and issued three walks, all to Aaron Judge. The majors’ home run leader struck out with the bases empty in the first and fourth and grounded out to third with a runner on to end the fifth.
Montas, whom the Yankees acquired from the Oakland Athletics at the 2022 trade deadline, exited after Alex Verdugo doubled for the second time. Nick Martinez protected the three-run lead and was aided by shortstop Elly De La Cruz throwing out Verdugo at the plate on a grounder by Anthony Volpe.
Martinez allowed a two-run homer to Juan Soto in the seventh before Judge grounded out to end the inning.
Justin Wilson and Sam Moll pitched a scoreless inning apiece to complete the sweep.
Stroman allowed five runs on five hits in five innings. He struck out two and walked two.
Martini opened the scoring by lifting Stroman’s 3-1 cutter to the Yankees’ bullpen in right-center field with two outs in the second. India hit a 2-2 sinker to left-center field for a 2-0 lead in the third and Steer blasted an 0-1 cutter into the right field seats to push Cincinnati’s lead to 5-0 in the fifth.
–Field Level Media
