Spencer Steer drilled a game-winning, two-out, two-run homer off the upper deck in left to lead the Cincinnati Reds past the visiting San Diego Padres, 7-5, in 11 innings Friday.
The Reds, who won their third straight and 15th in 18 games, were down to their final out when Matt McLain drilled a two-run homer in the 10th to extend the see-saw contest.
The game-winner came just moments after Elly De La Cruz was thrown out at the plate when his hand was blocked from sliding in safely by catcher Gary Sanchez.
Juan Soto went 3-for-5, including an RBI double in a two-run 10th inning to give the Padres a 4-2 lead before the visitors fell for the sixth straight time.
Friday’s wild win was just Cincinnati’s third in 17 games against San Diego dating back to the start of the 2021 season. Daniel Duarte (1-0) earned his first major league win by recording the final out of the 11th.
Fernando Tatis Jr. singled in the go-ahead run in the 10th and Soto followed with an RBI double to put the Padres up, 4-2. Both hits came against Cincinnati reliever Ian Gibaut.
San Diego lefty Ray Kerr retired the first two batters of the bottom of the 10th and was one out from his first career save before McLain drilled a line drive to the grass berm above the center-field wall for the game-tying home run.
De La Cruz lined a double to the gap in right-center against Drew Carlton, easily scoring automatic runner Jonathan India with the game-tying run, before Steer’s game-winning shot.
Gary Sanchez’s bad-hop single up the middle scored free runner Xander Bogaerts with the go-ahead run in the 11th, putting the Padres ahead, 5-4.
Matt Carpenter’s sacrifice fly scored Bogaerts with the game-tying run in the ninth inning to snap the consecutive-save streak of Alexis Diaz at 22 this season. The Cincinnati closer had converted his previous 27 chances dating back Aug. 23, 2022, in Philadelphia.
Right-hander Seth Lugo, filling in for the ill Yu Darvish, started and allowed just one unearned run and five hits over six innings for San Diego’s National League-leading 38th quality start.
Graham Ashcraft authored his most effective outing since returning from the injured list, and one of his strongest of the season. Beginning with a seven-pitch first inning, he allowed just one run on three hits over 6 2/3 innings, matching a season-high with seven strikeouts.
–Field Level Media
