Reds Play Long Ball in Offensive Onslaught, 11-5 Win Over Phillies

Backed by five home runs, four in the fourth inning, and two by Sal Stewart, the Cincinnati Reds' offense overwhelmed the Phillies Wednesday in an 11-5 win at Great American Ball Park.

Stewart, the rookie MLB All-Star, clubbed two home runs, and Elly De La Cruz hit one from the right side of the plate.

The Reds' offense did more than enough to back their ace, Chase Burns, who wasn't at his best but was still good enough to earn his 11th win of the season.

Reds Play Long Ball and Pile on Runs

JJ Bleday was one of four Reds to go deep on Wednesday night. — Jul 4, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds outfielder JJ Bleday (22) bats against the Baltimore Orioles in the ninth inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Boy that was nice to see, wasn't it? It makes you wonder where this performance was two months ago when the Reds were still over .500.

Nonetheless, it was a great night for the Reds' offense. It gives you hope-- yes, it's still okay to have hope-- that this team can build around Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart. Those two hitters can be a fierce middle-of-the-order duo, or, as they are right now, first and second in the batting order.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Reds clubbed four home runs. That's not something you see every day. De La Cruz, Stewart, Noelvi Marte, and JJ Bleday all went deep. De La Cruz, Stewart, and Bleday all went back-to-back-to-back, also not something you see every day.

The Reds jumped on the Phillies for seven runs in the first four innings, and then Noelvi Marte put the punctuation point with a bases-clearing double in the bottom of the sixth.

Cincinnati piled on 11 runs on 11 hits with nine extra-base hits and five home runs. Stewart himself hit two home runs, now with 19 home runs.

Chase Burns Battles to Earn the Win

Chase Burns finished his All-Star first half of the season on a strong note. — Jun 27, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Chase Burns (26) pitches against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the third inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Literally. Despite walking six batters and throwing 106 pitches, Burns still managed to pitch five innings and allow just two earned runs. Burns now has 11 wins on the season, with this being the last start for him before the All-Star Break.

Now, we wait to see if Burns will start the All-Star Game for the National League on Tuesday night for Philadelphia. Burns finishes the first half of the season with an 11-1 record and a 2.54 ERA. That's really impressive for a pitcher in his first full season at the Major League level.

Despite not having his best stuff Wednesday night, Burns still battled. That's a step forward and a positive sign for a pitcher of Burns's caliber; being able to pitch when you don't have your best stuff and find a way to earn the win. That's what Burns did Wednesday night.

On Deck

The series between the Reds and Phillies wraps up Thursday night with the rubber match at Great American Ball Park.

Brady Singer (3-8, 5.03 ERA) will start against Phillies left-hander Jesús Luzardo (7-4, 3.75 ERA).

First pitch is at 7:10 E.T. on Reds.TV and 700WLW.

Add us as a preferred source on Google