Six-run fourth powers Reds past White Sox

Call it The Home Stand of the Big Inning.

The Cincinnati Reds sent nine or more batters to the plate in five of the games of their just-complete home stand, capping the run with a 10-batter, six-run fourth inning that led to a 7-4 win interleague win over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday at Great American Ball Park.

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Jesse Winker and Jose Peraza delivered two-run singles in Cincinnati’s six-run fourth inning and the Reds came from behind to knock off the Chicago White Sox, 7-4, and win their three-game interleague series.

Scooter Gennett drove in the inning’s first run with a single and pitcher Sal Romano the last with a suicide squeeze bunt, helping the Reds complete a 4-3 home stand.

You might say the Reds had their own fireworks show on the field before the post-game pyrotechnics, doubling delighting the crowd of 24,442.

“Everybody is getting it,” interim manager Jim Riggleman said about his team’s sudden proclivity for stringing together big innings. “We’re getting it from different parts of the lineup There was a time we were just getting it from three, four and five in the lineup. A lot of guys are settling in and providing problems for the opposition by putting more base runners out there.”

The Reds have won 13 of their last 17 games and come from behind in eight of their last 11 wins.

Cincinnati improved to 8-2 in interleague play, the most wins since going 11-9 in 2013. The White Sox are 4-11 against NL teams.

Romano (5-8) didn’t walk anybody while striking out six and allowing six hits and four runs in five innings. The Reds improved to 9-9 in his 18 starts.

Amir Garrett and Michael Lorenzen teamed up for 2 1/3 relief innings before Jared Hughes celebrated his 33rdbirthday by pitching the final 1 2/3 for his sixth save. He got a gift from Billy Hamilton, who threw out Jose Abreu at the plate trying to score from second on a hit to end the eighth.

“When he first hit it, I thought, ‘Yeah, it’s on the ground,’” Hughes said. “Then I thought, ‘Oh, no, it’s a hit.’ Right then I, knew it was Abreu running and Billy has a really good arm. I was thinking, ‘You better back it up, because this is going to be close.’ I was really excited. It was a perfect situation a hit turns in to an out.”

“It is something I take pride in, as much as I take pride in making a diving catch,” Hamilton said. “I just love to make throws like that. Coming from a guy who didn’t like throwing guys out or didnt have the aptitude to throw the guys out a few years ago – now I want the ball hit to me.”

Dylan Covey retired the first nine batters he faced before the Reds erupted for five hits and six runs while sending 10 batters to the plate in the fourth. Winker and Peraza each had two-run single before Adam Duvall scored on Romano’s perfect bunt, which knocked Covey (3-4) out of the game.

“It was nice to be able to contribute with the bat,” Romano said. “The first thought when I saw the signal, I thought the number one thing was get the ball down whereever the pitch was. I was excited. I have never done it before. It was definitely a big insurance run and got the out of the game.”

Covey allowed a walk, struck out two and hit a batter in 3 2/3 innings.

“Their guy was shutting us down pretty good,” Riggleman said. “We saw some things from him better the second time around. We put together some good at bats.”

The Reds added a run in the eighth on pitcher Chris Volstad’s bases-loaded throwing error.

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