Sal Stewart Just Hit Two Three-Run Homers and the Reds Are Making the Giants Look Helpless

Sal Stewart is doing something special as a rookie, and Wednesday night at Great American Ball Park he proved why the Cincinnati Reds are starting to click. The third baseman went deep twice, both three-run shots, leading the Reds to an 8-3 win over the visiting San Francisco Giants. Stewart now has seven homers on the season, leading all rookies, and he has hit a homer in back-to-back games. This is the kind of early-season performance that gets fans talking about a player's ceiling.

Stewart Carried the Entire Offensive Load

Cincinnati jumped on Giants starter Tyler Mahle immediately in the first inning. With two on and one out, Stewart ripped a three-run liner to right-center field to make it 3-0. Eugenio Suarez followed with his third homer of the year, a 349-foot shot to right, pushing the lead to 4-0 before the first was even done.

The Giants scraped two back in the second when Matt Chapman singled, Jung Hoo Lee walked, and Daniel Susac doubled both home. But the Reds answered right back in that same inning. After back-to-back walks to Matt McLain and Elly De La Cruz, Stewart struck again with his second three-run blast to extend Cincinnati's lead to 7-2. De La Cruz capped the offensive barrage in the fourth with his sixth homer of the season, a 442-foot missile to center field. Mahle, pitching against his former team, fell apart over four innings, allowing eight runs and eight hits with five walks.

Cincinnati Is Heating Up at the Right Time

The Reds have now won three of their last four games, and with performances like this from their young talent, the momentum is real. Reds starter Rhett Lowder (2-1) was solid, allowing three runs on five hits with four strikeouts over a career-high 6 2/3 innings. The Giants, meanwhile, fell to 1-11 this season when scoring three or fewer runs and entered the game ranked dead last in the majors in runs (52), home runs (nine), and walks (34). Willy Adames went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts for San Francisco, which has now lost four straight.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.