Jun 24, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; San Diego Padres left fielder Melvin Upton Jr. is congratulated after hitting a two-run home run against the Cincinnati Reds during the seventh inning at Great American Ball Park. Photo Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports
By Jeff Wallner, The Sports Xchange
CINCINNATI — Wil Myers had three hits and drove in five runs and Melvin Upton Jr. hit a pair of two-run homers, lifting the San Diego Padres to a 13-4 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night at Great American Ball Park.
Adam Rosales also homered for the Padres (32-43), who have won the first two games of the four-game series.
Rosales’ solo homer against Raisel Iglesias leading off the sixth inning put San Diego ahead 6-4. It was his fifth homer this season.
Cincinnati had a scoring chance in the bottom of the sixth with two runners aboard, but Upton Jr. ran down Joey Votto’s long drive in the left field corner for the final out.
Upton Jr. followed up his fine defensive play with a power display.
In the seventh, he hit a two-run homer off Michael Lorenzen. Then in the eighth, he hit another two-run blast off J.J. Hoover to put the Padres ahead 13-4.
Upton Jr. now has 11 homers this season.
Padres starter Colin Rea (4-3) allowed four runs (one earned) in five innings.
San Diego scored in all but one inning. Cincinnati (28-46) managed just three hits off Rea and four in the game, two coming from center fielder Billy Hamilton.
Myers’ bases-loaded double in the seventh drove in three runs to make the score 11-4.
Rookie left-hander Cody Reed (0-1) made his second career start for Cincinnati and absorbed his first defeat.
Reed showed some early jitters pitching in front of the home fans for the first time. He fell behind the first two batters he faced and Myers — the second batter — crushed his 2-1 pitch for a homer to put the Padres ahead 1-0. It was Myers’ 17th home run this season.
In the second, catcher Tucker Barnhart made a trip to the mound to calm Reed with runners on first and third with one out. Reed’s balk, though, allowed a run to score, making it 2-0.
Rea struck out four through two innings, all looking. He retired the first six batters before Hamilton tripled leading off the third.
Reds manager Bryan Price was ejected by home plate umpire Toby Basner, who had players from both teams questioning balls and strikes.
Cincinnati scored two runs on errors in the third before Jay Bruce singled with the bases loaded to drive home two more, putting the Reds ahead 4-3.
Myers tied the score with an RBI single in the fourth and San Diego regained the lead at 5-4 on Alexei Ramirez’s RBI hit in the fifth.
Reed allowed five runs and nine hits in five innings and struck out six.
NOTES: Reds 1B Joey Votto returned to the lineup Friday after missing three straight starts with a stomach virus. He struck out as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning Thursday night. … Padres CF Jon Jay was out of the lineup again. He’s day-to-day after being hit by a pitch Sunday. Travis Jankowski started in center. … The Reds celebrated the 40th anniversary of the 1976 World Series champions during pregame ceremonies.
