Cleveland Guardians’ Bo Naylor scores on a single hit by Carlos Santana during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds, Sunday, May 18, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)
CINCINNATI — Will Benson had his first two-homer game, going deep for the fourth straight day to lead the Cincinnati Reds to a 3-1 victory on Sunday and their first three-game sweep of the Cleveland Guardians since 2012.
Benson followed Tyler Stephenson’s fourth-inning single with a 399-foot drive to right off L.L. Ortiz (2-5) then added a sixth-inning shot off Hunter Gaddis for his fifth home run this season. The Reds won their fourth straight and got back to .500 at 24-24.
Cleveland (25-21) has lost four in a row and the first three of a 10-game trip.
Andrew Abbott (3-0) allowed four hits and three walks in five shutout innings for his first win in five starts — despite giving up one earned run over 20 innings.
Emilio Pagán got a save for the third day in a row and 12th time in 14 chances. He gave up a leadoff double to Bo Naylor and a one-out infield hit to José RamÃrez, then struck out Carlos Santana on a splitter on the 10th pitch of the at-bat and Will Brennan on three pitches, the last a splitter.
Carlos Santana hit a two-out RBI single in the seventh against Luis Mey.
Ortiz allowed six hits in five innings with seven strikeouts.
RamÃrez went 2 for 5 and extending his hitting streak to 12 games.
Key moment
Abbott hit a batter and walked two, loading the bases with one out in the first, then struck out Jhonkensy Noel and retired Angel MartÃnez on a lineout. He became the first Reds starter to not allow a hit in the first inning of his first nine starts since Jim Maloney in 1969.
Key stat
Benson’s streak of games with home runs is the longest for the Reds since Joey Votto homered in seven straight games in 2021.
Up next
Guardians LHP Logan Allen (2-2, 3.70) starts today’s opener of a three-game series with the Twins against RHP Bailey Ober (4-1, 3.72).
Reds LHP Nick Lodolo (3-4, 3.42) starts today at the Pirates and RHP Mitch Keller (1-5, 4.15 ERA).
SATURDAY
Benson and Hinds homer, Reds win third straight, 4-1 over Guardians
CINCINNATI (AP) — Will Benson and Rece Hinds hit solo home runs as the Cincinnati Reds won their third straight game, 4-1 over the Cleveland Guardians on Saturday night.
Brent Suter allowed four hits in three innings before five relievers combined to allow a run on four hits for the Reds, including a 1-2-3 sixth inning by Luis Mey (1-0).
Lyon Richardson relieved Suter and allowed Daniel Schneemann’s solo homer, his sixth, leading off the fifth to put the Guardians ahead 1-0.
Slade Cecconi (0-1) was reinstated from the 15-day injured list to start Saturday for the Guardians after recovering from a left oblique strain he suffered during spring training.
Cecconi allowed just two hits through four innings, but Benson tied the score 1-1 with his third homer leading off the fifth. Benson has homered in three straight games for the first time in his career.
In the sixth, TJ Friedl doubled and scored on Santiago Espinal’s single to put the Reds ahead. Espinal scored on Austin Hays’ double off Cade Smith to make it 3-1.
Cecconi gave up three runs on five hits in five innings, tying a career-high with eight Ks and no walks.
Hinds made the score 4-1 with his second homer in the seventh off Jakob Junis.
Emilio Pagán retired the Guardians in order in the ninth for his 11th save.
Key moment
With Friedl on second base with no outs in the sixth, Espinal showed bunt, then pulled the bat back and lined an RBI single to right to put the Reds ahead 2-1.
Key stat
Cecconi is one of three Cleveland pitchers to record eight or more strikeouts with no walks in their Guardians debut, joining Tanner Bibee in 2023 and Floyd Weaver in 1962.
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