CINCINNATI (AP) - Joey Votto caught up with another Reds first baseman, the one known for his huge arms.
Votto homered for the third straight game and pulled into a tie with Ted Kluszewski on Cincinnati’s career list Monday night, leading the Reds to an 11-3 victory over the San Diego Padres.
The Reds homered four times in all, with Patrick Kivlehan hitting his first career grand slam . Adam Duvall and Zack Cozart also connected.
Votto’s 251st career homer off Jhoulys Chacin (11-8) moved him into a tie for fifth place with Big Klu, the first baseman who cut the sleeves off his uniform to free his big upper arms. Votto’s 136th homer at Great American bumped him ahead of Jay Bruce for the ballpark record.
“It does mean something,” Votto said, simply summing it up.
Votto also hit an RBI single against Chacin while extending his hitting streak to 12 games, his longest of the season. Chacin allowed five runs for the first time in 13 starts. The right-hander hadn’t lost since June 27, going 5-0 with a 2.02 ERA.
Votto hit his 30th homer on a hanging slider that Chacin tried to sneak past him.
“It’s hard to get him off balance,” Chacin said. “He always stays on your pitch. In that last at-bat, I tried to quick-pitch to get him off his timing, and I couldn’t get it where I wanted to.”
The Reds ended up with their highest run total since June 6, when they beat St. Louis 13-1 in Scooter Gennett’s four-homer game.
“It showcases what we’re capable of doing,” manager Bryan Price said. “I do know we have the ability to score runs at a large clip, and except for Cozart and Votto, we’re doing it with players of limited experience, so you hope they’ll get even better.”
Jose Pirela drove in all of San Diego’s runs with his first career multihomer game . The first was a two-run shot off Tim Adleman, who went only 4 2/3 innings. Adleman hasn’t won since June 27, going 0-5 in seven starts with a 6.88 ERA. Blake Wood (1-4) replaced Adleman in the fifth and pitched out of a two-on threat.
Cincinnati is 7-17 since the All-Star break. The Padres have lost four of five.
CAPPS RETURNS
San Diego recalled right-hander Carter Capps from Triple-A El Paso. He started the eighth and loaded the bases ahead of Kivlehan’s grand slam off Phil Maton.
“He started strong,” manager Andy Green said. “I didn’t want to put him in harm’s way. The last two batters, his command wavered quite a bit. The last couple of batters, he was just gassed, it looked to me.”
The Padres got Capps from Miami last season while he was recovering from Tommy John surgery. San Diego also optioned left-hander Buddy Baumann, who gave up Sean Rodriguez’s game-ending homer in the 12th for Pittsburgh’s 5-4 win on Sunday.
PARTY ON
Capps is the first player to make his Padres debut on his birthday - he turned 27 on Monday. His last major league appearance was Aug. 2, 2015, for the Marlins.
HOT STARTS
Billy Hamilton led off with a triple and scored on Votto’s single. Hamilton is batting .340 in the first inning, tops in the majors.
BAD CHOICE
Manuel Margot led off the Padres’ fourth with a double to right and was thrown out at third while trying to stretch it, costing San Diego a run. Carlos Asuaje followed with a double.
GOING NOWHERE
Asuaje topped a ball straight down in the seventh. Catcher Tucker Barnhart picked it up in fair territory and tagged out Asuaje, who grounded out without leaving the batter’s box.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Padres: C Hector Sanchez was available to pinch-hit on Monday. He was hit in the helmet by a foul ball on Saturday night and was checked for a concussion.
Reds: C Devin Mesoraco went on the paternity list. RH reliever Austin Brice was called up from Triple-A Louisville.
UP NEXT
Padres: Luis Perdomo (5-6) gave up five runs in six innings of a 5-2 loss to Minnesota on Wednesday. He’s 1-1 in two career starts against the Reds with a 4.26 ERA.
Reds: Sal Romano (2-3) makes his seventh major league start and his first career against the Padres. He gave up four runs in six innings of a 6-0 loss at Pittsburgh on Thursday.
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