TJ Friedl, Matt McLain and Jake Fraley hit home runs in succession to propel the Reds to a 4-2 victory to insure a series win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Reds last hit back-to-back-to-back home runs last season in Yankee stadium when Kyle Farmer, Mike Moustakas and Stuart Fairchild hit them off Luis Severino in the second inning of a 7-6 10-inning loss.
"It is awesome going back-to-back-back like that," Friedl. "I had just taken the helmet off. I said sweet hand it of. I'll give it up every time. Matty hit his and when the picture happened. Jake hit his. I thought let's see how many we can get to. No we didn't compare distances. I think Matty would have won. They all go into the books as home runs."
A battle of rookies named Brandon took place on the Great American Ball Park pitcher's mound.
The Reds sent Brandon Williamson out for his 12th start and the first without rain in four starts. He finished with six innings of one-run baseball on three hits and a walk. He struck out six to even his record at 2-2.
Williamson appeared in the postgame press conference in a Reds' snuggy that his wife's grandmother made.
Brandon Pfaadt from Louisville Trinity HS and Bellarmine University made his seventh start. He came in with a 9.82 ERA.
Pfaadt got into early trouble. Spencer Steer led off the game with a single to right. Friedl reached on an error by second baseman, Ketel Marte. McLain was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Pfaadt struck out Fraley and Jonathan India to begin a string of 16 straight batters retired.
"The first inning a lot of times when you have an opportunity like that and the pitcher makes pitches to get out of it. It takes a few innings to get it going again," David Bell said. "Give a lot of credit to Brandon Williamson he gave us little breathing room to get us back and get it going again. Once we did we got a few of them."
Williamson flinched first but held. He retired the first nine batters and walked Marte. He gave up a double to Evan Longoria in the fifth. Jake McCarthy hit a leadoff double in the sixth and scored on a single by Marte.
Friedl broke Pfaadt's 16-out string with his seventh home run, McLain followed with his 10th and Fraley belted his 14th to tie him with India and Steer for the team lead.
The Reds added an insurance run in the eighth against Scott McGough. Steer opened the inning with a single. Friedl doubled Steer to third. Elly De la Cruz ran for Steer. McLain struck out but De la Cruz beat Christian Walker's throw home on Fraley's ground out to the bag.
Rookie Corbin Carrol belted his 20th home run of the season off Alexis Diaz with the bases empty in the ninth.
"What an incredible day, a beautiful day, incredible crowd," Bell. "We appreciate that so much. To play well ultimately we want wins but to play a good game like that. We feel good about that because our fans deserve that."
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