Joey Votto Leads Reds In A Rout Over San Diego

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The Reds jumped out to a 3-0 lead for the second straight day, thanks to Joey Votto against the San Diego Padres in a 11-3 win.

"I think it's the strikezone and how we're beign pitched," Votto said.  'It has been documented the style of pitching especially to left-handed batters allow for more balls to be hit in the air.  I'm going to take whatever the game gives me.  If it goes back to more strikes being called on the outside, I will go back to hitting the ball the other way more often."

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Votto’s first inning single scored Billy Hamilton, who tripled off Jhoulys Chacin to open the game.  It was Hamilton’s ninth triple.  Votto followed Zack Cozart’s two-out single with his 30th home run of the season in the third.  Votto tied Ted Kluzewski for fifth place on the Reds’ all-time home run list with 251.  He passed Jay Bruce for the most home runs at Great American Ball Park with 136.

"I don't know much about Ted Kluszewski but it does mean something to me," Votto said.

"We expect so much from him," Bryan Price said.  "When he's just being a normal guy, we wonder what's wrong."

Tim Adleman has no-hit stuff for three innings, retiring the first nine San Diego batters.  Manuel Margot broke the spell with a double but was cut down by a relay from Jesse Winker and Scooter Gennett.  It extended the Reds, National League assist leading outfield with 27 assist, tying Cleveland and the White Sox for the Major League lead with 27.

Adleman gave up a double to Carlos Asauje in front of Jose Pirela’s sixth home run.  The Padres had two men on when Austin Hedges flied out to end the fourth..

Adleman’s problems extended to the fifth.  Dusty Coleman opened with a double.  Chacin bunted him to third.  Margot hit a ground ball to short.  Cozart fielded it moving toward first but threw to catcher Tucker Barnhart to cut off the tying run.  Asauje singled Margot to third before Blake Wood relieved Adleman.  Pirela grounded out to end that threat.

Cincinnati extended their lead.  Votto reached base for the third straight time with a walk.  Adam Duvall hit his 25th home run off Chacin.  Duvall is second on the club with 77 RBI. He leads NL outfielders in the category. He is third among Major League outfielders.

Michael Lorenzen and Wandy Peralta maintained the lead over the next three innings. Pirela hit his second home run and seventh of the season off Peralta in the eighth.  It was Pirela’s first big league multi-home run game.

Cozart hit a two-run home run off former Louisville and Eastern Kentucky pitcher Kyle McGrath in the seventh.  McGrath attended Butler High School, like Duvall of the Reds.

Patrick Kivleahan added the icing with his first career grand slam off Phil Maton in the eighth inning. Kivlehan, who played with the Padres last season, was part of a double switch has seven home runs this season.

Kivlehna played with most of the Padres in El Paso last season.

"Maton was a closer last year," Kivlehan said.  "I knew he liked to throw his fastball."

Kivlehan is hitting just .214 but has contributed off the Reds' bench.  He's played in 76 games mostly as a pinch hitter.  With seven home runs and 18 RBI in 108 at bats, if projects to 93 RBI and 42 home runs over a full season with 600 at bats

"You can throw the batting average out because he is in a tough situation," Price said. "He has played multiple postions (3B,1B,LF,CF and RF).  He has played above average at all these positions. He provides power and run production.  Given a chance he could be an every day player."

"It is one of those jobse.  You can't get too high or too low," Kivlehan said.

Raisell Iglesias mopped up in a non-save situation.