CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Reds powered their way to a dominant 9–2 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Saturday night, fueled by a breakout performance from rookie Sal Stewart and a barrage of early home runs.
Stewart delivered the decisive blow with a three-run homer and finished with five RBIs, leading an offensive surge that overwhelmed Detroit pitching from the outset at Great American Ball Park.
The Tigers struck first when rookie Kevin McGonigle led off the game with a solo home run, extending his impressive on-base streak to 23 consecutive starts. The early momentum, however, was short-lived.
Cincinnati responded immediately against Detroit starter Jack Flaherty, who continued his early-season struggles. After issuing two walks, Flaherty surrendered Stewart’s three-run shot to give the Reds a 3–1 lead. Just four pitches later, Nathaniel Lowe added a solo homer, stretching the advantage to 4–1.
The Reds didn’t let up. Elly De La Cruz launched a two-run homer in the second inning to make it 6–1, marking his ninth of the season. Stewart and De La Cruz have now both reached nine home runs before May, a rare feat in franchise history.
Flaherty’s outing was cut short after he allowed six earned runs and three home runs, continuing a troubling trend for the veteran right-hander, who fell to 0–2 on the season.
Detroit’s only other highlight came in the fourth inning when Spencer Torkelson connected for a solo home run, trimming the deficit to 6–2. But the Tigers’ offense stalled from there.
Stewart added to his big night with a two-run single in the sixth inning, pushing the Reds’ lead to 8–2. TJ Friedl capped the scoring with his first home run of the season in the eighth.
On the mound, Cincinnati right-hander Brady Singer improved to 2–1, allowing two runs over 5⅓ innings while working through eight hits.
The win continued a strong start for Cincinnati, which improved to 18–9 and sits nine games above .500 for the first time since 2003.
Detroit, meanwhile, faces mounting concerns in its rotation, particularly with Flaherty’s recent performances raising questions about his role moving forward.
The series concludes Sunday with Cincinnati set to send Rhett Lowder to the mound against Detroit’s Keider Montero.
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