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).
Stewart, a National League All-Star, accounted for two of the four home runs up to that point in the game. 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.
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.
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
