Aquino's blast paces key 'team effort' win

CINCINNATI -- For the 2021 Reds to earn their pennant race survival badges this month, they will need more games like Saturday's 7-4 win over the Tigers at Great American Ball Park.

While starting pitcher Tyler Mahle labored, the lineup, defense and bullpen all came through to pick him up in a game the Reds badly needed to win. Coming in with losses in seven of their previous 10 games -- including a 15-5 drubbing the previous night -- Cincinnati is trying to stave off challenges from multiple fronts to keep its hold of the second National League Wild Card spot.

"It was important, for sure," Reds manager David Bell said. "Fortunately, we’re in a spot where we can say that. These games really matter, and tonight did."

The Reds held onto their half-game lead in the Wild Card chase over the Padres, who also won Saturday. The Cardinals lost to the Brewers and dropped to 2 1/2 games back of Cincinnati, while the Phillies are three games out after they lost to the Marlins.

It was during the bottom of the third inning, down 3-0, when the Reds really needed to flex some muscle and take advantage of a rally opportunity. On the first pitch from Tigers lefty starter Matthew Boyd, Aristides Aquino launched a slider into the left-field seats for a three-run home run.

"I was looking for a good pitch to hit right there. Well, that ball just kind of hung right there, so I hit it well," Aquino said through translator Jorge Merlos. "It just feels great that I came [through] in the clutch right there and gave an opportunity for the team to win."

Aquino's long ball -- which snapped a 2-for-33 skid with no homers over his last 13 games -- came on the heels of Detroit tagging Mahle for three runs in the top of the third inning.

With two men on and one strike away from escaping the jam with two outs and a 1-2 count on Eric Haase, Mahle's fastball over the middle of the plate was slugged for a three-run homer to left-center field that gave the Tigers a 3-0 lead.

Mahle finished with four earned runs allowed on six hits and a season-high five walks over five innings with eight strikeouts.

"I didn’t do great tonight in a game that we needed to win," Mahle said. "I guess that’s what is most frustrating. Such a big game. I just didn’t step up to the plate.”

Against Boyd in the bottom of the third, Joey Votto's broken-bat single into right field scored Tyler Stephenson for the Reds’ first run and put runners on the corners. Eugenio Suárez plated Cincinnati's second run with a sacrifice fly to center field. Kyle Farmer kept the inning alive by reaching on an infield single to the shortstop to set the table for Aquino.

After his ninth homer of the season landed, Aquino did his trademark right arm muscle flex as he rounded the bases.

Mahle nearly squandered his two-run lead in a prolonged fifth inning. After having an 0-2 count on Dustin Garneau, the right-hander lost what turned into a nine-pitch duel with a bases-loaded walk that forced in a run. The next batter, Derek Hill, grounded to the right side, where second baseman Jonathan India made a terrific sliding stop on the wet grass and a subsequent throw to first base from one knee to end the threat.

“That was huge," Mahle said. "Unbelievable play in a humongous spot. That probably would have scored two runs, maybe, because it’s a little dribbler."

Batting for Aquino in the seventh inning against right-hander Joe Jiménez, Tyler Naquin hit a triple that rolled into the right-field corner, scoring two big insurance runs.

The final four scoreless innings were controlled on the mound by the Reds’ bullpen, which allowed only two hits the rest of the way. Pitching for the first time since Aug. 26, a fresh Michael Lorenzen worked the seventh and eighth innings before Mychal Givens locked down the ninth for his fifth save.

The Reds have a chance to win the three-game series with another win Sunday.

"There were a lot of moments. It took a team effort and those wins are always nice," Bell said.