CINCINNATI (AP) — Christian Encarnacion-Strand homered in the ninth inning, and the Reds beat the Toronto Blue Jays 1-0 in the opener of an interleague series between playoff contenders.
Encarnacion-Strand drove a 2-2 pitch from Jordan Hicks deep to left for his fourth homer.
It was Cincinnati’s fourth hit of the game.
Fighting for positioning in the NL playoff standings, the Reds won for the third time in four games.
Toronto wasted a terrific performance by José Berríos, who struck out eight in 5 2/3 innings. The right-hander allowed one hit and walked four.