JJ Bleday hits for cycle, Reds pound Diamondbacks

JJ Bleday hit for the cycle and drove in three runs, Elly De La Cruz had four hits and was a triple short of the cycle, and the Cincinnati Reds evened the weekend series with an 11-5 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday night in Phoenix.

Bleday doubled in a run in the first, had an RBI triple in the third and singled in a run in a three-run fourth before hitting his career-high 21st homer in the sixth, a 370-foot liner over the right field fence for an 8-2 lead.

It was the eighth cycle in Reds history, the first since De La Cruz did it in June 2023 in his 15th major league game.

No team in major league history has had two players hit for the cycle in the same game. De La Cruz struck out in his final at-bat in the eighth.

De La Cruz hit his 21st homer and had two singles and a double as the Reds pounded out a season-high 16 hits, including four homers, after being blanked on four singles in a 9-0 loss Friday, their 13th shutout of the season.

Sal Stewart had three hits and drove in a run to extend his major league RBI lead to 97, rookie Hector Rodriguez hit his first major league homer and Matt McLain also went deep for the Reds, who scored in every inning but the second and ninth.

Tim Tawa had two hits including his career-high eighth homer and Nolan Arenado also homered for the Diamondbacks, who had won two in a row and four of seven. Tawa's homer in the sixth cut the deficit to 8-4.

Arizona catcher Gabriel Moreno extended his career-best hitting streak to 15 with a double in the ninth.

Reds starter Rhett Lowder (5-8), staked to a 6-0 lead, gave up six hits and four runs (three earned) in six innings. The right-hander struck out one and walked one for his second win since April 20.

The top three in the Reds' order -- De La Cruz, Stewart and Bleday -- had 11 hits, five RBIs and eight runs.

Tyler Stephenson had two hits and two sacrifice flies and drove in three runs for the Reds, who homered in four straight innings starting with De La Cruz's homer in the fifth.

The Reds had lost six of eight.

Arizona starter Michael Soroka (8-4) gave up six hits and six runs before leaving with one out in the fourth. The right-hander struck out three and walked three.

--Field Level Media