Jorge Soler’s grand slam helps power Angels to victory over Reds
CINCINNATI — Jorge Soler hit a grand slam in a five-run eighth inning, Zach Neto and Josh Lowe also homered, and the Angels beat the Cincinnati Reds 10-2 on Friday night to snap a seven-game losing streak at Great American Ball Park.
Jack Kochanowicz (2-0) yielded just one run and two hits over seven innings.
Soler also had a two-out double in the third before scoring on Yoan Moncada’s infield single for a 2-0 lead.
Neto’s fifth home run of the season made it 4-0 and Lowe, who was batting .091 (three for 33) coming in, homered over the left-field wall in the sixth for a 5-1 lead.
The Angels improved to .500 or better after 14 games for a sixth straight season, and eighth of nine.
Cincinnati’s Chase Burns (1-1) gave up five earned runs, seven hits and four walks over 5⅓ innings.
Sal Stewart entered leading all rookies with 16 hits, eight extra-base hits, and 32 total bases before going 0 for 3 against the Angels.
Eugenio Suárez had Cincinnati’s only hit through four and he added the Reds’ second hit on a single in the sixth. Elly De La Cruz hit his fourth homer of the season in the ninth.
The Angels’ last win in Cincinnati came on April 1, 2013, in the first interleague opening day game in MLB history.
Up next: Angels RHP George Klassen (0-0, 6.75 ERA), who took a no-decision in his major league debut on April 5, goes against Cincinnati LHP Brandon Williamson (1-1, 4.76), who picked up his first major league victory on April 6.