CINCINNATI (AP) - The Cincinnati Reds didn’t exactly smash the ball, but they didn’t have to while again beating first-place Philadelphia.
Joey Votto drove in the go-ahead run with a sharp single that glanced off second baseman Cesar Hernandez’s glove, helping Cincinnati to a 6-2 victory over the Phillies on Saturday night.
Votto drove in two runs and four players each knocked in one for the Reds, who are last in the NL Central but beat the East Division-leading Phillies for the second straight day.
Billy Hamilton started Cincinnati’s sixth-inning rally against Tommy Hunter (2-1) with a sharp one-hopper that caromed off third baseman Maikel Franco’s glove into foul territory, giving the speedy Hamilton plenty of time to easily reach second. He later scored from third on Votto’s hit, which bounced high off Hernandez’s glove into short right field. Eugenio Suarez added a run-scoring fielder’s choice.
“That’s baseball,” Hunter said. “The ball took a couple of bad bounces. Sometimes in baseball, that’s how it works out. A couple hops went against us.”
Wandy Peralta (2-2) got the win with 1 1/3 innings of relief in his first appearance since being recalled on Friday. Sal Romano, a starter making his second relief appearance of the season, and Jared Hughes each got double-play balls to finish the seventh and eighth. Hughes pitched the ninth for a five-out save, his career-high seventh save. He had four in his career before this season.
“It was Romano’s day to throw on the side anyway,” interim manager Jim Riggleman said. “All the guys are chipping in.”
Reds pitchers limited the Phillies to four hits.
Cincinnati starter Matt Harvey, in perhaps his last start for the Reds before Tuesday’s non-waiver trade deadline, made himself more marketable. The former Met allowed two runs and two hits in five innings. Acquired May 8 for catcher Devin Mesoraco, Harvey walked two and struck out five. Both runs scored on Rhys Hoskins’ third home run of the series and 21st of the season in the fourth.
“I’m not talking about trades,” Harvey said. “I’m here now and I enjoy being here. It was really coming out of my hand better early on. When the velocity went down, I was able to execute pitches.”
Vince Velasquez worked through a season-high five walks to last five innings, giving up two runs on six hits with four strikeouts. Velasquez struck out the last two batters he faced to escape a bases-loaded jam in the fifth.
“Vinny showed some fight,” Phillies manager Game Kapler said. “He got out of that jam. He battled. That fifth inning was notable. He showed some grit and determination and heart.”
STUCK AT FIVE
Reds 3B Eugenio Suarez went 0-for-4 with a walk to see his streak of consecutive games with a home run snapped at five, tied with seven other players for the franchise record.
PHILS BASHER
Jose Peraza’s double to lead off the first inning extended his hitting streak against Philadelphia to nine straight games dating back to April 6 of last season. He is hitting .361 (13-for-36) against the Phillies during the streak.
ONLY GO UP
SS Asdrubal Cabrera, acquired from the Mets in a Friday trade, went 0-for-4 in his Phillies debut.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Phillies: SS J.P. Crawford took another round of batting practice in Clearwater on Saturday. “It went very well,” manager Gabe Kapler said. There is no timetable on Crawford’s return from a broken left hand, Kapler said.
Reds: LHP Amir Garrett returned to start the eighth after facing one batter on Friday before leaving with what the team announced was a “mild left Achilles strain.”
UP NEXT
Phillies: RHP Zach Eflin (7-2) tied his career low by lasting just 2 2/3 innings in his last start, a 7-6 loss to the Dodgers on Monday.
Reds: Luis Castillo, who led National League pitchers in home runs allowed for much of the season, has given up one homer in his last five starts.
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