Reds 4, Indians 2
CINCINNATI -- Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto hit a tie-breaking two-run home run in the eighth inning to lift the Reds to a 4-2 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Monday.
Reds outfielder Shin-Soo Choo led off the game with a solo homer against his former team.
Jason Giambi hit a game-tying solo homer in the eighth inning off Reds starter Mike Leake. But Votto's homer off Indians left-hander Nick Hagadone, who was promoted from Class AAA Columbus prior to the game, put Cincinnati ahead to stay.
Jonathan Broxton (2-1) earned the victory. Hagadone (0-1) took the loss.
Choo, facing the Indians for the first time since they traded him to Cincinnati in December, hit his 10th home run leading off the first inning.
Indians right fielder Drew Stubbs, who was traded to Cleveland in exchange for Choo, went 1-for-3 with a strikeout in his first regular season appearance against the Reds.
Choo's home run came on a 2-1 pitch from Indians starter Ubaldo Jimenez, putting Cincinnati ahead 1-0.
Cleveland tied the score 1-1 in the fourth on Santana's sacrifice fly.
It was an unearned run for Leake, which ended his 16 2/3-innning scoreless streak. Brandon Phillips committed an error on Nick Swisher's ground ball which would've been the second out.
Cincinnati got that run back in the sixth.
Zack Cozart's double down the left-field line appeared to hit foul. Indians manager Terry Francona argued the call, but the mark the ball made in the dirt appeared to touch the chalk. Cozart later scored on Phillips' sacrifice fly, putting the Reds ahead 2-1.
Michael Bourn prevented the Reds from increasing their lead in the seventh when he made a sensational over-the-shoulder running catch of Xavier Paul's line drive in deep center, which likely would've scored Todd Frazier from first.
Leake, meanwhile, cruised through seven innings with just a run and four hits allowed over 91 pitches. He appeared to be in line for a victory before Giambi launched his 1-1 pitch 467 feet off the facade of the batter's eye pavilion in center, tying the score 2-2.
Jimenez exited after seven innings with 108 pitches. He allowed two runs on four hits, walked four and struck out six.
But the struggles for the Indians bullpen continued.
In the eighth, Hagadone allowed a leadoff single to Choo. With one out and Choo on third, the Indians chose to pitch to Votto, who launched a 2-1 pitch into the left-center field seats, putting Cincinnati ahead 4-2.
Things got testy in the ninth with Reds closer Aroldis Chapman on the mound. Chapman threw two high fastballs over Swisher's head. Swisher glared at Chapman following the second one, but then lined out hard to center. Chapman fanned Santana to clinch his 13th save.
NOTES: Indians right-handed closer Chris Perez was placed on the 15-day disabled list with right shoulder soreness. Perez is on the DL for the first time in his five-year career. ... Choo hit his third leadoff home run this season and eighth of his career. ... Giambi's game-tying home run was his ninth career pinch-hit homer. ... The Indians and Reds are playing rare back-to-back, home-and-home, two-game interleague series this week. Following Tuesday's series finale in Cincinnati, the teams will play Wednesday and Thursday at Progressive Field.
