Hunter Greene turned in a quality start and Jonathan India and Will Benson provided enough offense for the Reds to win their seventh straight game, 10-3.
The win put the Reds over the .500 mark at 36-35 for the first time since April 5 when they were 3-2.
"I'm thankful. I'm grateful to be helping the team cash in," said Benson, who is battling to stay in the big leagues when Joey Votto and Wil Meyer return. "We're just a bunch of guys who are all aimed at one goal which is to play good baseball."
India got the Reds started against Brandon Bielak in the first inning. Matt McLain reached on Jeremy Pena's first error of the inning. India cracked his ninth home run of the season over the 366' sign in left field.
"I saw it early in spring training. I knew something special was going to happen this year. Now we're playing with momentum and we're rolling," India said. "We're a very good team. People are starting to realize that. We have a lot more to show though. These are defending champs and we beat pretty bad today. We got em good."
Reds' starter Hunter Greene walked Corey Julks one out into the third inning. Jose Altuve doubled into the right field corner to send Julks to third. Kyle Tucker barely missed a home run, backing Will Benson to the right field wall. Julks scored after the catch.
"Belief is a big part of what's going on in our clubhouse," David Bell said. "We know how important that is. Against a team like this we have to play great. To be able to play with a team like this, takes big plays by a lot of guys. Will is playing with a lot of belief and confidence for sure. It goes a long way. As his confidence grows he's becoming more aggressive."
The Reds retrieved the run when Benson led off the fourth with a triple off the glove of Jake Meyers in center field. Curt Casali drove him home with a safety squeeze bunt.
Benson hit a two-run single in the fifth to increase the lead to 5-1.
"That hit was the biggest hit of the day," Bell said.
Greene allowed Altuve's second double and third hit of the game but stranded runners at second and third in the fifth.
"I had a couple rocky innings to be able to keep the team in the game like that it was really fun. The guys came out swinging," Greene said. "I feel like I can keep making pitches. We play for all nine innings. We embrace the underdog role."
Yainer Diaz hit his fifth home run, a solo shot to right field in the sixth. It was the first Greene allowed in his last four starts.
The Reds got that run back in the seventh. Elly De la Cruz doubled and stole third, scoring as Stephenson poked a single through a drawn in infield.
Benson reached base five times with three hits and two RBI.
Greene turned in the Reds' second quality start of the series with six innings, allowing two runs on five hits and four walks. He struck out three, the lowest of the season next to his one-strike out game in a three-inning outing on April 17.
Ian Gibaut, a Houston native, relieved Greene in the seventh. Altuve hit his third home run of the season. The homer off Gibaut was Altuve's fourth hit of the game. It tied his career high for the 35th time. Craig Biggio had 34 four-hit games for the Astros.
Buck Farmer gave up a single to Jose Abreu but turned in a scoreless eighth.
Kevin Newman added on with a bases loaded, two-run single to push the lead to five runs. McLain contributed a two-run triple.
The four-run ninth allowed the Reds to spare Alexis Diaz and Lucas Sims with Fernando Cruz taking over to face the bottom of the Astros order in the ninth.
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