India chopper against 5-man infield lifts Reds over Rockies
CINCINNATI (AP) — Jonathan India drove in Spencer Steer from third base with a game-ending chopper against Colorado’s five-man infield, sending the Cincinnati Reds past the Rockies 3-2 on Friday night.
Steer, who hit his first career home run in the fifth in his major league debut, led off the ninth with a double against Alex Colomé (2-7) and went to third on a one-out wild pitch. Jake Fraley was intentionally walked and took second on fielder’s indifference.
The Rockies moved into the stacked infield with three fielders on the left side. India hit a bouncer up the middle that shifted center fielder Garrett Hampson caught on the grass in front of second base, but he had no play on Steer. India was credited with a single.
Fraley tied it at 2 when he greeted Dinelson Lamet with a leadoff homer in the seventh. It was Fraley’s first career pinch-hit homer.
Each team had a player connect for his first career home run.
Sean Bouchard’s two-run drive in the third landed four rows deep in the left field lower deck and gave Colorado a 2-0 lead. Steer’s leadoff shot in the fifth, also his first career hit, landed on the green turf in front of the center field batter’s eye.
Alexis Díaz (5-2) gave up a hit in a scoreless ninth to get the win.
Colorado left-hander Kyle Freeland pitched around eight hits to last 5 2/3 innings. He gave up one run with a walk and three strikeouts while remaining winless in five starts since Aug. 4 at San Diego.
Sidearm right-hander Justin Lawrence walked the first batter he faced to load the bases before striking out Jose Barrero to end the sixth.
Luis Cessa lasted a season-high five innings in his fourth start of the season after being moved from the bullpen to shore up Cincinnati’s injury-ravaged rotation. Cessa allowed four hits and two runs with two walks and four strikeouts.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rockies: OF Yonathan Daza (shoulder) started in center field and went 3 for 4 for Triple-A Albuquerque at Sugar Land in the first game of his rehab assignment on Thursday. He was scheduled to play seven innings on Friday.
Reds: RHP Hunter Greene (shoulder) threw 27 pitches in the game and another eight in the bullpen afterward in the first game of his rehab assignment with Triple-A Louisville on Thursday against Indianapolis. Greene will make at least one more start, Reds manager David Bell said.
UP NEXT
Rockies RHP Germán Márquez (7-10, 4.97) was roughed up for nine runs, eight earned, and a career-high tying 12 hits in his last start in Cincinnati on June 12, 2021. Reds LHP Nick Lodolo (3-5, 4.30) hasn’t won in six starts since July 25.
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