BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Spencer Steer hit a two-run home run in the seventh inning to help the visiting Cincinnati Reds stretch their winning streak to five games by beating the Boston Red Sox 5-4 on Wednesday night.
Steer’s home run, his eighth of the season, came against losing pitcher Josh Winckowski (2-1) and broke a 3-3 tie. Kevin Newman, who singled earlier in the inning, also scored on the home run.
Newman, Matt McLain and Nick Senzel each had two hits for the Reds. McLain has hit safely in nine consecutive games. Alex Verdugo collected two hits for Boston.
Masataka Yoshida and Enmanuel Valdez each hit a solo home run for the Red Sox, who have lost three in a row.
Ian Gibaut (5-1) earned the win for pitching one scoreless inning of relief. Buck Farmer retired the Red Sox in order in the ninth to collect his first save.
Boston starting pitcher James Paxton went five innings. He held the Reds to one run on four hits, struck out eight and walked one.
The Reds received 5 2/3 innings from starter Luke Weaver, who allowed three runs on seven hits and struck out five with no walks.
After Yoshida’s home run gave the Red Sox a 1-0 lead in the second, Boston doubled its lead when Connor Wong singled and scored on a two-out double by Rafael Devers in the third.
Cincinnati cut its deficit in half in the fifth thanks to a two-out double by Luke Maile that scored Jose Barrero.
Valdez increased Boston’s lead to 3-1 when he hit his fourth home run of the season in the bottom of the fifth, but the Reds pulled within a run again by scoring against reliever Kutter Crawford in the sixth. After walks to Jonathan India and Steer, Senzel singled to drive in India and make it a 3-2 game.