Will Benson and Rece Hinds each launched solo home runs, while seven pitchers combined to throw nine solid innings as the host Cincinnati Reds posted a 4-1 victory over the Cleveland Guardians on Saturday.
Brent Suter served as the Reds’ opener, throwing three scoreless innings, followed by Lyon Richardson, who allowed one run across two frames. Luis Mey (1-0) earned the win with a scoreless sixth for Cincinnati, who clinched the three-game series and won its third straight game.
Cincinnati closer Emilio Pagan threw a perfect ninth, recording his 11th save.
Cleveland starter Slade Cecconi (0-1) allowed three runs on five hits across five innings, issuing three walks and striking out eight in his first appearance of the season. Daniel Schneemann’s solo home run accounted for the Guardians’ offense. Nolan Jones had two hits for Cleveland, which dropped its third straight.
Richardson replaced Suter in the fourth, allowing Kyle Manzardo’s leadoff single before retiring Carlos Santana and getting Gabriel Arias to ground into an inning-ending double play.
Cleveland broke a scoreless tie in the fifth as Schneemann opened the inning with a blast to right-center off Richardson, his sixth home run of the season.
Cincinnati answered in the bottom of the inning with Benson’s leadoff homer to right-center — his third of the season — to knot the score.
Mey pitched a perfect sixth for the Reds. TJ Friedl doubled to begin the home half of the sixth before Santiago Espinal singled in the go-ahead run. Cade Smith then relieved Cecconi, allowing Austin Hays’ one-out RBI double, extending the Reds’ lead to 3-1.
Cincinnati tacked on another in the seventh, as Hinds launched his second homer of the season, a 423-foot rocket to center to give the Reds a 4-1 edge.
