Sal Stewart's Extra-Inning Blast Ends a Remarkable Reds Drought

The Cincinnati Reds picked up a much-needed win on Tuesday night in San Diego, beating the Padres 5-3 in 11 innings.

With a man on third and just one out in the 11th inning, Sal Stewart hit a towering two-run home run over the center field fence. It was Stewart's 13th home run of the season, which leads the team.

Stewart's go-ahead home run was the first one by a Reds hitter in extra innings in over two years. The last player to do so was Spencer Steer on April 1, 2024, according to Matt Wilkes of Reds Content Plus.

Stewart had been 0 for his last 14 before the big home run in the 11th inning.

"We have been having a lot of bad breaks and we've been just trying to stick with it...It hasn't been really going well for myself, I have been down on a little stretch here. I've been hearing the outside noise and it kind of motivated me a little bit. Sometimes you need a little bit of that. We all hear the outside noise so it was nice to get a big win like this."

In 66 games this season, Stewart is slashing .254/.351/.464 with 26 extra-base hits, including 13 home runs and 10 stolen bases.

Total Team Win

Jun 9, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Cincinnati Reds first baseman Sal Stewart (27) is congratulated by center fielder Blake Dunn (59) after hitting a two-run home run during the 11th inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

Whether it was Blake Dunn's fantastic catch in the 8th, Sam Moll escaping the threat with the bases loaded in the ninth, or Stewart's home run in the 11th, it was a total team win for the Reds on Tuesday night.

“It was actually -- it might sound kind of masochistic -- but it was a fun game to be a part of," Reds manager Terry Francona said after the game. "God, it was so much going on, and our guys, there was a lot of frustration. We left some runners out there early, but we didn’t pay for it. They kept playing. There was good energy."

The Reds will go for the series win on Wednesday at 4:10 ET. Brady Singer will start on the mound for the Reds and Michael King will start for the Padres.

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