Spencer Steer drilled his first career grand slam to break a 10th-inning tie and lead the visiting Cincinnati Reds to a 6-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday in the opener of a three-game series.
Steer’s home run came off reliever Connor Brogdon (0-1), who walked Will Benson and Jonathan India to open the 10th before serving up the homer on a 2-1 fastball. Brogdon threw 37 pitches and recorded just two outs.
Alexis Diaz (1-1) rebounded from a blown save on Saturday to record five outs and the win. He entered with two on and one out in the eighth and escaped the jam.
The Phillies had a chance to tie the game in the bottom of the 10th. Trea Turner drove in a run with a two-out comebacker that reliever Tejay Antone couldn’t handle, slicing the deficit to 6-3 and leaving runners at the corners. Antone struck out Bryce Harper, the potential tying run, to end the game.
Alec Bohm drove in two runs for Philadelphia, which lost for the third time in four games to open the season.
India, who on Sunday started the Reds’ two-out, ninth-inning rally against the Washington Nationals with a double, tripled to open the game against Philadelphia starter Cristopher Sanchez.
Steer then lifted a fly ball to Brandon Marsh in shallow center field. India took off for home and did not slide. Marsh’s throw was high, causing J.T. Realmuto to leap for the ball.
As Realmuto landed, he applied the tag on India, who was initially ruled safe before a challenge prompted a review of the call, which made it a double play.
Bohm doubled home two runs with two outs in the first.
The Reds rallied to tie the game in the sixth. India walked and Steer doubled him to third, knocking Sanchez from the game. Former Cincinnati right-hander Jeff Hoffman entered and gave up RBI singles to Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Jeimer Candelario.
The Phillies had a golden opportunity in the eighth when Kyle Schwarber and Turner opened the frame with first-pitch singles off reliever Brent Suter. Suter then got Harper to fly out.
Diaz came on and picked off pinch runner Johan Rojas in between second and third for the second out, then fanned Realmuto to end the threat.
The Phillies had two runners picked off in the game.
–Field Level Media
