Reds Ambush A's With Four Home Runs Andrew Abbott Quiets A's

     https://gofund.me/b67c71781

Dateline: Cincinnati  

Elly De La Cruz opened the game with his 19th home run of the season against Athletics' starter Mason Barnett. Three Reds teammates followed up to sweep the Athletics with a 6-5 triumph. The sweep of the Athletics was reminiscent of the 1990 World Series sweep of the A's.

It was the fourth time, De La Cruz homered to open a game.

Sal Stewart, Tyler Stephenson and JJ Bleday followed De La Cruz' lead.

"Well early we had three solos (home runs). I think we had four hits and three home runs to get us tied, which is good," Terry Francona said. "We got into their bullpen and needed to tack on a run. It ended up being huge that Bleday hit his home run."

Andrew Abbott faced the minimum nine batters in the first three innings. Tommy White singled in the first but Jonah Heim hit into a double play.

The Athletics assaulted Abbott in the fourth inning. Henry Bolte singled and White singled for the second time to put runners at the corner. Heim walked to load the bases. Tyler Soderstrom singled to plate two runs. Max Muncy singled to left field to load the bases. Lawrence Butler hit a ground ball to second baseman Matt McLain who fed De La Cruz at second. The relay was deemed late by first base umpire Jonathan Parra. The Reds challenged and the call was overturned resulting in a double play. Brian Severn flied out to end the inning.

Sal Stewart belted his 25th home run leading off the bottom of the fourth. It put him alone on a list headed by Frank Robinson with 38 home runs as a rookie. He passed Joey Votto, who also had 24. He is also one short of the Major League lead for RBI with 87. CJ Abrams of the Washington Nationals, who starts the day with 88.I

"It was funny," Francona said. "Before Sal went to the plate he asked if I wanted to take a pitch (to make sure Abbott had time to rest after the three-run inning). I said no, I want you to hit it into the right field stands. He hit it to left center. I told him you never listen to any body."

Tyler Stephenson hit his 10th home run of the season one out later to tie the score, 3-3.

The Reds like in the first game of the series, when two wild pitches provided the winning run, the A's pitcher's wildness put the Reds in the lead. McLain was hit by Barnett to start the inning. De La Cruz popped out. McLain stole second but couldn't score on Stewart's single that was hit hard right at Soderstrom in left field. Barnett walked JJ Bleday to fill the bases. Mark Kotsay, the Athletics manager brought in Elvis Alvarado. Alvarado struck out Stephenson looking but walked Eugenio Suarez and Dane Myers to give the Reds a 5-3 lead. 

Abbott got the first two outs in the seventh inning but Jonathan Ornelas singled to right. Pierce Johnson got Bolte to line back to the mound.

"I think he pitched really well. When the starters get that deep in the game and could have gone on," Francona said. "I think he could have gone on. I just wanted to make sure that if we brought in Pierce (Johnson) we had (Sam) Moll for Soderstrom. When your starting pitchers go that deep you can start to match up."

Abbott pitched 6 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on seven hits and two walks. He struck out four.

"I knew we had an impending bullpen day," Abbott said. "I said let me go ahead and start against these guys. There are more favorable match ups with all their left handed hitters. I wanted to give the bullpen as much of a break as possible. It's tough throwing a night game at 6:40 and throwing a day game at 12:40. I told Tito. I'm ready to go. It is a normal five day rest for me. I don't need six."

Bleday tortured his teammates from last season with his 20th home run of the season. It came against Seth Johnson, who the A's got in exchange for Colby Thomas on Monday. His home run proved important as the A's scored two meaningless runs in the ninth inning against Brock Burke, in his team leading 58th appearance.

Bleday was not tendered a contract by the Athletics after last season. He signed with the Reds as a non roster player and started the season at Louisville.

"There is always going to be nerves, awkwardness whatever you want to call it," Bleday said. "Well I am happy to be a Red now. I wake up and thank God every day."

With one out Butler hit a slow ground ball over the mound that De La Cruz scooped on the run. His throw was wide and the throwing error put Butler on second. Backup catcher Brian Serven hit his second home run into the left field stands to make it a one-run game. 

The runs broke Burke's personal streak of 12 scoreless appearances.

He rallied to get Alika Williams on another slow roller to De La Cruz. This time it was scooped by Stewart. Burke struck out Ornelas to record his second save of the year.