Sal Stewart ties Reds rookie home run record in win vs. Pirates

The Cincinnati Reds took down the Pittsburgh Pirates 10-2 on Sunday afternoon at Great American Ball Park, taking three of four games in the series and improving to 53-58 on the season.

The win featured a milestone moment for rookie Sal Stewart, who matched a historic franchise rookie home run mark. The 22-year-old opened the scoring with a home run into the second deck in left field, giving Cincinnati an early 1-0 lead. It was his 24th homer of the season, tying Joey Votto for the second-most home runs by a Reds rookie. Votto hit 24 home runs in 2008, while Frank Robinson holds the franchise rookie record with 38 homers in 1956.

Stewart also increased his season RBI total to 85. Cincinnati received additional power production from Tyler Stephenson and Ke’Bryan Hayes, who each hit home runs. Stephenson’s homer was his ninth of the season.

The Reds’ offense attacked Pittsburgh starter Mitch Keller immediately, scoring three runs in the first inning. After Stewart’s homer, JJ Bleday singled, Stephenson doubled home a run, and Nathaniel Lowe added an RBI single to make it 3-0. Hayes extended the lead with a solo home run in the second inning.

Elly De La Cruz added a two-run single in the third inning, pushing Cincinnati’s advantage to 7-0. Keller finished the outing after allowing seven earned runs and four walks in two innings. The Reds later added two more runs in the fourth inning on consecutive RBI doubles from Lowe and Dane Myers.

Chase Burns earned his 13th win of the season, improving to 13-1. He allowed one run on two hits over six innings, striking out nine and walking two. Burns threw 88 pitches, including 56 strikes, and lowered his ERA to 2.35. The start was his 17th outing allowing two runs or fewer, and he became the first Cincinnati pitcher to win 12 consecutive decisions since Brooks Lawrence won 13 straight in 1956.

The game included a 25-minute delay in the fourth inning while the grounds crew applied drying compound to the infield and batter’s box. Despite the rain, the tarp was not used, and Pirates manager Don Kelly was ejected after protesting the conditions.

Up next, the Reds will begin a three-game series against the Athletics on Tuesday.

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