Reds ride 7th-inning thunder into win column

Newly minted All-Star Nick Castellanos didn’t shy away from showing the crowd at Kauffman Stadium the power his swing holds. And like his teammate, Eugenio Suárez’s home run power changed the course for the Reds’ offense in the 6-2 win against the Royals on Monday.

The pitching duel that held both offenses to one run through five innings soon turned into a lopsided seventh inning. Kansas City knocked in its second run of the game against Reds starter Vladimir Gutierrez in the sixth to break through with the lead. The lead, however, didn’t make it past Cincinnati’s lineup in the seventh.

Castellanos was the first batter the Reds sent to the plate in the seventh. The right fielder was 0-for-2 with a runner left on base against Royals starter Mike Minor when he stepped into the batter’s box against the southpaw for a third time.

But the 87.7-mph fastball in the upper inside corner of the zone from Minor was crushed 419 feet to left-center field. It tied the game at 2 and electrified a Reds’ dugout that had only two hits before the game-tying homer.

“I thought that really got us going,” manager David Bell said. “I thought, obviously [Eugenio's] homer was a big blow, but Castellanos' kind of broke through a little bit. We hadn't had much going and I really thought that really got us going right there.”

Two consecutive walks followed Castellanos’ 17th homer of the year and set the stage for Suárez. Against Royals reliever Kyle Zimmer, Suárez launched a go-ahead three-run homer to left field. It traveled a Statcast-projected 431 feet with an exit velocity of 110.7 mph and provided a lead the Reds wouldn’t relinquish for their fifth consecutive comeback victory.

The situation was made for Suárez’s recent turnaround at the plate. Since the beginning of the season, the infielder has struggled at the plate; entering Monday, his batting average sat at .177. It led to the Reds’ skipper giving Suárez a couple of days off from the lineup to reset. The rest has paid off and was evident in the win against the Royals.

"He just looked a little bit different [at the plate],” Bell said. “I wasn't sure exactly what it was, I didn't ask any questions. But when he was at the plate, he looked just in a really good position to hit.”

Suárez’s homer in the seventh ensured him of a hit in four consecutive games since he returned to the lineup. The batting average doesn’t quite yet reflect that Suárez feels better at the plate, but homering off an offspeed pitch showed an improved version of the right-handed batter.

“That was my best swing,” Suárez said. “That's my swing, and he hung that breaking ball around the middle, and I was so ready to put my best swing on that.

“I [haven't felt] that way for a long time. But definitely, that was one of my best swings this year. It made me feel like I still have it. Just believe and do it.”

The hits continued in the ninth for the Reds’ offense as Tyler Naquin plated Aristides Aquino with an opposite-field single. Cincinnati improved to six games behind Milwaukee in the National League Central, and the win streak has shown a team that won’t give in.

“It's never comfortable, but I would say that there is growing confidence that we can come back in games,” Bell said. “It's not easy, but with the way our guys are swinging the bat, you don't ever feel out of the game.

“It's great to always approach a win and never give it up and keep playing. But when it starts actually happening, that does give you a lot of confidence that no matter what's going on, you have a chance to win the game.”