Cincinnati Reds’ Nick Martini, center, celebrates with Jonathan India, left, after they scored on a double by Christian Encarnacion-Strand against the Philadelphia Phillies during the third inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, April 3, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Elly De La Cruz had RBI doubles, Frankie Montas pitched 5 2/3 innings and the Cincinnati Reds beat the Philadelphia Phillies 4-1 on Wednesday night after a long rain delay.
The game was originally scheduled for the afternoon, but the start was pushed back three hours because of heavy rain in the forecast. Then the teams waited out an additional delay of 3 hour, 55-minutes — the second-longest stoppage in the 20-year history of Citizens Bank Park.
Montas (2-0) allowed one run on five hits. Alexis Diaz pitched a the ninth for his first save.
Cincinnati had six hits – five for extra bases. Encarnacion-Strand plated two runs with a double off Philadelphia starter Zack Wheeler in the third inning, and Jake Fraley and De La Cruz hit back-to-back doubles off Wheeler in the sixth inning to score the third run. Nick Martini added an RBI single in the ninth.
Wheeler (0-1) allowed three runs, one earned, on three hits in six innings. He had 10 strikeouts, marking the 22nd time in his career that he struck out at least 10.
Kyle Schwarber hit a solo home run on a first pitch four-seamer from Montas in the sixth inning for the Phillies. He extended his hitting streak to five games with his second homer of the year.
UP NEXT
The Reds turn to RHP Hunter Greene (0-0, 3.86) in the opener of a three-game series at home against LHP Jose Quintana (0-1, 3.86) and the New York Mets on Friday. Philadelphia is at Washington on Friday. RHP Aaron Nola (0-1, 14.54) will start for the Phillies.
