The Cincinnati Reds’ home run barrage that accumulated midway through their game against the Philadelphia Phillies reached historic proportions.
The Reds on July 8 at Great American Ball Park launched five home runs through just four innings to take a 7-2 lead against the Phillies, and the power surge went down in Cincinnati history. The fourth inning of the game saw the Reds launch back-to-back-to-back home runs, too, as Elly De La Cruz, Sal Stewart and JJ Bleday all homered in succession.
That marked the 15th time since 1961 the Reds had back-to-back-to-back homers.
The Reds last hit homers in three successive at-bats July 22, 2023, against the Arizona Diamondbacks (TJ Friedl, Matt McLain and Jake Fraley versus Arizona’s Brandon Pfaadt).
For Stewart, a National League All-Star, the long-balls marked his 18th and 19th homers of the season and set a new franchise record for the most home runs by a Reds rookie before the All-Star break. Frank Robinson hit 18 homers prior to the break during his rookie season in 1956.
Frank Robinson hit 18 homers prior to the break during his rookie season in 1956.
“That’s the first I’ve kind of heard that,” Stewart said of breaking the Reds’ record. “It feels good to be in the company of that stature of a player (Robinson). Definitely grateful.”
Stewart pulled the Reds into a tie ball game at 2-2 in the third inning with his two-run blast off pitcher Alan Rangel, who started on the mound for Philadelphia. In the fourth inning, Stewart hit a solo shot off reliever Tanner Banks that stood as the middle home run of the three hit consecutively.
Before Rangel exited the game, Noelvi Marte hit a solo home run to put the Reds up 3-2.
De La Cruz started the back-to-back-to-back homer surge when clubbed his 14th home run of the season. It was a two-run shot off Banks And then Bleday piled on against Banks, who was lifted from the game after allowing a third consecutive home run and having retired just one batter.
Bleday’s homer was his 14th of 2026.
The Reds went on to win 11-5.
“It was a big win against a really, really, really, really good team,” Stewart said. “It felt good to win like that.”
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Reds in rare company with home run barrage against Phillies
Reporting by Pat Brennan, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
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By Pat Brennan, Cincinnati Enquirer | USA TODAY Network
