Phillies extend winning streak to five with late-inning surge against Reds
Andrew Painter delivers six strong innings and Jhoan Duran secures the save as Philadelphia overcomes early absences to defeat Cincinnati.
The Philadelphia Phillies secured their fifth consecutive victory on Monday night, defeating the Cincinnati Reds 5-4 in a contest that tested their depth and resilience. The win improves the team’s record under manager Dave Mattingly to 16-4, while the Reds remain at .500 with a 24-24 record. Philadelphia entered the matchup at 25-23, navigating the absence of key regulars Kyle Schwarber and Brandon Marsh at the start of the game.
Schwarber was sidelined due to illness, while Marsh was rested, though he returned later as a defensive substitution. Despite these absences, the Phillies established an early advantage, loading the bases in the first inning through a double steal and a walk. Sacrifice flies by Edmundo Sosa and Adolis Garcia provided a 2-0 lead before Cincinnati responded with three straight singles and a sacrifice fly in the second inning.
Andrew Painter delivered a pivotal performance for Philadelphia, pitching six innings and allowing only two runs. This marked his second consecutive strong outing, stabilising the rotation during a critical stretch. Alec Bohm restored the lead in the bottom of the sixth with a solo home run to straightaway centre field, his fourth of the season, putting the Phillies ahead 3-2.
The Reds mounted a comeback in the seventh and eighth innings, capitalising on pitching changes. Brad Keller, relieving Painter, surrendered a leadoff home run to Sal Stewart in the seventh. Spencer Steer then tied the game in the eighth with a two-out RBI double, but Bryson Stott immediately answered with a go-ahead two-run homer to right field. Stott’s fifth home run of May ended a prolonged drought from March and April, highlighting his recent offensive consistency with an average of one RBI per game over his last 20 appearances.
Jhoan Duran closed out the game with a 1-2-3 ninth inning, recording his eighth save of the season in as many opportunities. The victory maintains Philadelphia’s momentum as they prepare for the next matchup, where Chase Burns is scheduled to pitch against Reds starter Jesus Luzardo.
