Reds 6, Phillies 4
CINCINNATI -- Ivan De Jesus Jr. hit his first major league home run, a two-run shot in the sixth, lifting the Cincinnati Reds to a 6-4 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies in the opener of a three-game series Monday night at Great American Ball Park.
With the score tied 3-3, De Jesus, who was promoted from Triple-A Louisville on Wednesday, launched a 1-1 pitch from Phillies left-hander Cole Hamels into the left-field seats to put Cincinnati (25-31) ahead to stay.
Hamels (5-5) has dominated the Reds for much of his career, but he didn't fare as well on Monday night, allowing five earned runs and eight hits in six innings.
Shortstop Zack Cozart added a solo homer off right-hander Justin De Fratus in the eighth for Cincinnati, which now has split four meetings this season with the Phillies (22-37) after a pair of heart-breaking losses last week at Citizen's Bank Park.
Cozart went 3-for-4 with a double, homer, and two RBIs on Monday night.
Reds starter Mike Leake (3-4) allowed three earned runs and 10 hits in six innings for Cincinnati and got the victory.
Closer Aroldis Chapman allowed a run to score in the ninth on a wild pitch. But he struck out second baseman Chase Utley, who represented the tying run, to finish off his 11th save.
Third baseman Maikel Franco continued his hot-hitting for the Phillies, going 3-for-4 with a double.
Leake, who took a no-hitter into the seventh in his start against Philadelphia on Wednesday, allowed three hits in the first inning on Monday, including a double to leadoff batter Ben Revere.
The Phillies right fielder scored on first baseman Ryan Howard's double to the wall in center, making the score 1-0.
Hamels entered Monday's game with a 9-0 record and 1.59 ERA in 13 career starts against Cincinnati.
The first three Reds batters reached base against Hamels on Monday, but he allowed just one run on third baseman Todd Frazier's RBI single.
Center fielder Billy Hamilton's speed created an odd run for Cincinnati in the second inning.
Hamilton singled with two outs, then stole second and third.
Brandon Phillips walked on ball four in the dirt. Thinking the Reds second baseman had swung and missed, Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz threw unnecessarily to first to complete the strikeout.
And Hamilton alertly slid home with the Reds' second run. It was not recorded as a steal of home because Hamilton didn't start running until Ruiz made his throw.
Ruiz atoned for his mental blunder with a two-run single in the fourth, putting Philadelphia ahead 3-2.
NOTES: The Phillies signed veteran RHP Kevin Correia and announced he'll start Friday in Pittsburgh. Correia, 34, posted a 3.58 ERA in six starts for San Francisco's Triple-A affiliate in Sacramento before opting out of his deal with the Giants. ... Reds RHP Homer Bailey, who had season-ending elbow surgery on May 8, had his brace removed this week but won't begin cardiovascular work for another month. ... Reds C Devin Mesoraco began a rehabilitation assignment for Triple-A Louisville on Monday. A hip impingement prevents Mesoraco from catching so he's working out in left field. ... Monday's game was the 1,000th in the history of Great American Ball Park, which opened in 2003.