Nick Senzel hit the fifth pitch of the game from Zach Plesac for his fifth home run of the season and the second home run to lead off a game. Joey Votto was right behind him with his sixth home run on a 3-2 pitch. The Reds added two more home runs and four doubles in a 7-2 win that tied Pittsburgh for fourth place in the National League Central.
"We need to be better collectively," Votto said. "We need to put together better at bats. We have high expectations. There is a lot left in the tank. We have a lot of games left in the season."
It was the first time two Reds' batters led off a game with home runs since Alex Ochoa and Barry Larkin did it against Andy Benes in St. Louis on June 26, 2001. The Indians allowed two White Sox players Yoen Moncada and Yolmer Sanchez did it against Adam Plutko exactly one year ago in Chicago. The Indians had never given up home runs to the first two batters in a home game.
"It was great to see us come out with a good plan," David Bell said. "We kept adding on. Good teams will come back on you. It is important to keep adding runs throughout the game. There were a lot of big at bats today. Suarez home run was big."
Anthony DeSclafani turned in a drama filled perfect inning. Francisco Lindor, the leadoff hitter for the Indians hit a pop up to shallow center. Second baseman Jose Peraza and center fielder Senzel sprinted after it. They collided as Senzel made the catch. Both players were shaken up on the play. Trainer Steve Bauman looked at Senzel's ankle. Peraza was interrogated by David Bell and Thomas Vera to make sure he was good. Both players stayed in the game.
Senzel injured the same ankle before the season started and thoughts of it entered his head after the collision.
"We didn't hit each other head on," Senzel said. "I rolled on my ankle a little bit. I have it taped. The tape helped for sure. When you get that feeling when you've been hurt before, then you rehurt it, that's what was going through my mind."
Hitting coach Turner Ward was not so lucky. Jose Iglesias put up a mild protest of a called third strike. Home plate umpire Lance Barrett signaled an ejection. Bell came out pleading. It was announced that Bell suffered his fifth ejection but after the discussion, he took his seat in the dugout. Iglesias was not in plain sight, so speculation turned to him as the ejected party. Later it was confirmed that Ward got the "heave ho".
The Indians manufactured a run in the second. Tyler Naquin doubled, moved to third on a ground out to second and scored on Mike Freeman's ground out to Votto at first.
Plesac settled down, retiring the next 13 Reds' batters. Iglesias stopped the streak with a double one out into the fifth. Curt Casali grounded to third but the recovered Peraza hit a double past Jose Ramirez at third. Senzel walked. Josh VanMeter hit for Votto, who left the game with stiffness in his back. VanMeter narrowly missed his first Major League home run with a drive down the right field line. It was about five feet foul. He ended up a strike out victim.
"I thought I had it," VanMeter said.
Votto is not concerned about his back after the game.
"It is very similar to what I had in April. We got treatment on it and it went away," Votto said. "It came up after the home run."
DeSclafani earned his third win (3-3). He protected the one run lead in the third inning. Leonys Martin walked. Francisco Lindor singled. Oscar Mercado bunted the runners into scoring position. Carlos Santana walked to load the bases but Naquin grounded into a 4-6-3 double play.
DeSclafani has notoriously had trouble with left-handed batters. The Indians lineup had seven in it, including three switch hitters.
"It's no secret that lefties have my number," DeSclafani said. "I have been working on a curve ball and it is getting better it is going to be a big pitch for me."
"DeSclafani made some good adjustments," Bell said. "He has continued to work hard and get better."
When Santana walked to load the bases, there was a mound visit. Casali and Bell talked to their pitcher.
"We discussed it in the meeting," DeSclafani said. "It was a good plan. Curt wanted to throw a back door slider. (The ball breaks in to a left hander. For a back door slider the pitcher starts it off the plate and it comes back into the strike zone.) It worked. Naquin rolled over on it."
Eugenio Suarez hit his 15th home run off Plesac in the sixth. Casali hit his third home run off Nick Goody in the seventh.
Amir Garrett pitched a scoreless inning and a third.
Iglesias doubled high off the wall in center field to drive in Derek Dietrich, who doubled and Yasiel Puig, who had an infield single, the lone Reds' single.
Michael Lorenzen entered in the bottom of the eighth, surrendering Santana's 14th home run which leads the Indians. Zach Duke and Jared Hughes finished off the Indians in the ninth.
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