Encarnacion-Strand hits his 1st career grand slam to power Reds’ rally to beat Red Sox 8-4

BOSTON AP Christian Encarnacion-Strand hit his first career grand slam during a five-run seventh inning and the Cincinnati Reds rallied to beat the Boston Red Sox - on Wednesday night Elly De La Cruz TJ Friedl and Santiago Espinal added RBIs for the Reds Nick Martinez - pitched innings yielding four runs off nine hits to help Cincinnati avoid being swept in the three-game interleague series Wilyer Abreu hit a two-run home run for the Red Sox Romy Gonzalez drove in two runs including an RBI double in the seventh to pull Boston within - Brennan Bernardino opened for Boston pitching innings before handing off to Jorge Alcala and then Chris Murphy That trio held Cincinnati to three hits and no runs over innings before Greg Weissert took over Weissert - got the final out of the sixth But things fell apart in the seventh when Stephenson led off with a single followed by Rece Hinds reaching on a fielder s choice and Gavin Lux walking to load the bases for Encarnacion-Strand Weissert was pulled after surrendering five runs off four hits Earlier Wednesday Abreu hit a tiebreaking RBI single in the eighth to help Boston earn a - win in the completion of a encounter suspended by rain on Tuesday Key moment Abreu jumped on Martinez s changeup in the sixth driving it over the right-field wall and into the Reds bullpen beyond the reach of Hinds It came after Hinds had made a catch against the same wall in the fifth robbing Jarren Duran of an extra-base hit Key stat Encarnacion-Strand s grand slam was Cincinnati s sixth of the season Up next LHP Andrew Abbott - ERA will start for Cincinnati when it opens its three-game series at Philadelphia on Friday RHP Lucas Giolito - is scheduled to start for Boston at Washington AP MLB https apnews com hub mlb