CINCINNATI -- David Bell had a sense before Monday’s game that Spencer Steer would rise to the moment.

For the second time this season, the Reds skipper penciled him to start at his natural position of second base.

Steer responded with his first career multi-homer game, belting a two-run homer off St. Louis starter Sonny Gray (11-7) for Cincinnati’s first hit in the third and a three-run shot off Gray in the fifth. Steer finished with five RBIs in Cincinnati’s 6-1 win over the visiting Cardinals before 21,682 fans on Monday night in the series opener at Great American Ball Park.

Steer stole second base following a walk in the seventh, becoming the ninth Cincinnati player since RBIs became an official stat in 1920 with two homers, five RBIs and a steal in a game, and the first since Derek Dietrich in 2019.

Cincinnati starter and winning pitcher Andrew Abbott (10-9) went 6 2/3 innings, allowing only one run on five hits, striking out six, walking two and hitting a batter.

Steer and Elly De La Cruz homered on consecutive pitches to put Cincinnati up 3-1 in the third. It was De La Cruz’s team-leading 21st of the season.

Steer didn’t just get it done with the bat. Playing second base for the first time since May 15 at Arizona, Steer started a key double play on a high hopper off the bat of Pedro Pagés to get Abbott out of a jam in the second.

“Probably the only reason he hasn't played there [in the last two seasons] is because of Jonathan [India] and Matt [McLain],” Bell said pregame. “But it's his natural position, so he does a lot of work at first base and the outfield, but probably doesn't do as much work at second base because he feels that it's just more of a natural spot for him.

"So he doesn't emphasize that position as much but he's just very comfortable there. He feels at home at that spot.”

And it showed Monday.