Spencer Steer’s three-run homer highlighted a five-run eighth inning, and the Cincinnati Reds broke a three-game losing streak with a 6-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday in Phoenix.
Austin Hays had three hits and an RBI, Steer doubled in addition to his 16th homer, and Noelvi Marte had two hits and scored twice for Cincinnati, which has not been swept in any of its 42 series this season.
The Reds moved within 1 1/2 games of the New York Mets for the final NL wild card spot while the Diamondbacks blew their major-league-high 40th lead.
Geraldo Perdomo tripled and scored on Lourdes Gurriel Jr.’s sacrifice fly for a 1-0 lead in the first off Cincinnati starter Brady Singe. That proved to be the Diamondbacks’ only hit until Corbin Carroll singled with two outs in the eighth.
Gurriel has 29 RBIs in August, the most in the majors and tied for the second-most in any month by any player this season with Pete Crow-Armstrong (May) and Kyle Schwarber (July). Rafael Devers had 33 in May.
Graham Ashcraft (8-5) pitched a 1-2-3 seventh for the win.
Kyle Backhus (0-3) got out of a bases-loaded situation in a 1-1 game in the seventh before giving up a single to Marte to open the eighth. Marte took second on a deep fly out into the right fielder corner.
Juan Burgos entered and gave up three straight hits, an RBI single by Hays and a single to Gavin Lux before Steer hit a 397-foot homer to left. TJ Friedl singled off John Curtiss to drive in the final run of the inning.
The Dbacks had won four in a row and 10 of 15.
Singer and Arizona starter Zac Gallen were locked in a pitcher’s duel through six innings, each allowing only one run.
Singer gave up only Perdomo’s triple leading off the first and had nine strikeouts and three walks. He retired the final 10, five on strikeouts, before leaving after 95 pitches.
Gallen, who also threw 95 pitches, gave up one run and four hits in six innings He struck out seven and walked one while making his fourth quality start in the last five.
Gallen had retired 11 of 12 batters until Marte tripled with one out in the sixth and scored when shortstop Perdomo’s relay throw to third was in the dirt and bounced away for an error.
Spencer Steer’s homer helps Reds avoid sweep by Diamondbacks
