Homers help Reds come back to beat Rockies
DENVER -- The Cincinnati Reds staggered into Coors Field with the worst road record in the majors and just one win in their past 13 games. And as if on cue, they trailed by four runs after three innings.
But the Reds took the lead with a five-run uprising in the fourth and went on to beat the Colorado Rockies 11-8.
The Reds hit five home runs -- solo shots by Joey Votto, his 200th career homer, Zack Cosart, Eugenio Suarez and Adam Duvall and a two-run blast by Duvall, who had his first career two-homer game.
Votto also had a two-run double in the fourth when Duvall homered and the Reds chased Rockies starter Chad Bettis (4-4) on their way to just their fifth win in 24 road games this season.
The Rockies fell to 1-3 on their current homestand and 9-13 at Coors Field this season. They have been outscored 29-13 while yielding 50 hits and losing three straight games and have dropped nine of their past 12 to fall a season-worst four games below .500.
Starter Dan Straily (3-2) gave the Reds six innings, the final three scoreless, after allowing five runs before turning the game over to the bullpen. Their relievers entered the game with a 6.45 ERA, the highest in the majors.
Blake Wood relieved Straily and immediately found trouble with a leadoff walk followed by Carlos Gonzalez's 200th career double. Wood retired Mark Reynolds on a grounder and struck out Gerardo Parra but walked Trevor Story to load the bases before Daniel Descalso grounded out.
Tony Cingrani issued a leadoff walk in the ninth followed by Carlos Gonzalez's ninth homer and third in three games. Cingrani then walked Mark Reynolds, who took second on defensive indifference while Cingrani was in the process of striking out Gerardo Parra. Reynolds moved to third on Trevor Story's fly to center and scored to make it 11-8 when Descalso singled for his fourth RBI.
J.C. Ramirez came on to face Dustin Garneau and got him to fly out to earn his first career save.
After Votto put the Reds up 7-5 with a leadoff homer in the seventh, his eighth of the season, they tacked on three runs in the eighth against Miguel Castro. That rally included Suarez's 10th homer and run-scoring singles by Cozart and Ivan DeJesus. Duvall led off the ninth with his 13th homer -- and 11th of the month.
Staked to a four-run lead in the third, Bettis gave it all back and was knocked out. Duvall hit a two-run homer after Jay Bruce led off with a double. Bettis walked Straily with two outs and paid dearly for that transgression when Cozart followed with an infield single to load the bases, and Votto doubled home two runs. That hit finished Bettis, who lasted a season-low 3 2/3 innings and has yielded 15 hits and 13 runs in 8 1/3 innings in his past two starts.
Brandon Phillips put the Reds ahead 6-5 with an infield single off Gonzalez Germen, adding one final run to Bettis' pitching line.
Parra's run-scoring single off the wall in right gave the Rockies a 2-1 lead in the third. After Story walked to load the bases, Descalso cleared them by lining a double to right and putting the Rockies ahead 5-1.
Cozart homered on Bettis' first pitch of the game. Not to be outdone, Charlie Blackmon hit a leadoff homer, driving Straily's second pitch into the second deck in right field.
NOTES: Reds SS Zack Cozart's leadoff homer was the seventh of his career and third this season. ... Rockies CF Charlie Blackmon extended his career-high on-base streak to 25 consecutive games with his 14th career leadoff homer and second this season. ... Reds 3B Eugenio Suarez broke an 0-for-28 skid with a single in the fourth. ... Rockies 3B Nolan Arenado was not in the lineup for the first time this season after playing each of the team's first 49 games. ... Rockies C Nick Hundley (strained left oblique) might join the team in San Diego on Friday. He's scheduled this week to play two games in extended spring training followed by two rehab games for Triple-A Albuquerque. ... Rockies RHP Christian Bergman (strained left oblique) and LHP Boone Logan (left shoulder inflammation) played light catch for the second day in a row. ... Reds C Ramon Cabrera has been bothered by a sore left ring finger and after Sunday's game at Milwaukee, he traveled to Cincinnati. He was cleared to play after undergoing an MRI on Monday morning and was en route to Denver. ... Reds 1B Joey Votto's next homer will be No. 200 in his career. He has hit seven homers this year, the last Friday at Milwaukee. ... Reds RHP Jon Moscot (inflammation nonthrowing left shoulder) is scheduled to be activated to start Tuesday.