Eric Haase hit a three-run home run, his 20th of the season, but the Cincinnati Reds answered back with five runs in the third inning to beat the Detroit Tigers 7-4 on Saturday night at Great American Ballpark.
The Tigers (64-73) and Reds (73-64) have split the first two games of the series.
The Tigers jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the third, when Jonathan Schoop doubled, Miguel Cabrera walked and Haase crushed a home run.
He’s the first Tiger who served primarily as a catcher to reach 20 home runs since Mickey Tettleton in 1992.
The Tigers’ lead was short-lived, as the Reds scored five in the bottom of the third against Tigers starter Matthew Boyd.
Boyd had given up two runs on a couple of singles, a double and a sacrifice fly but was on the verge of wriggling out of trouble when Kyle Farmer extended the inning with an infield hit. The next batter, Aristides Aquino, hit a three-run homer to put the Reds up 5-3.
They tacked on two insurance runs in the seventh when Joe Jimenez walked two batters and pinch-hitter ripped a triple just past a diving Cabrera down the right field line.
Rookie reliever Drew Carlton, just selected from Toledo, entered the game after that. His Major League debut consisted of just one pitch, and he got Delino DeShields to fly out.
Up next: The Tigers and Reds wrap up their three-game series on Sunday at 1:10 p.m. Tigers right-hander Casey Mize (7-7, 3.59 ERA) will face Reds righty Luis Castillo (7-14, 4.30).
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