CINCINNATI (AP) — Joey Votto homered and hit a go-ahead, two-run single in his return to the Reds’ lineup after a 10-month absence that followed surgery, helping Cincinnati extend its longest winning streak in a decade to nine with a 5-4 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Monday night.
Cincinnati took over the NL Central lead for the first time since early April, moving a half-game ahead of Milwaukee. The Reds are on their longest winning streak since taking 10 in a row from July 19-29, 2012.
Colorado has lost six in a row and 12 of 15.
Returning 10 months to the day after surgery on his left biceps and rotator cuff, Votto was greeted with a standing ovation when he walked to the plate in the second inning. He took off his helmet and waved to the crowd, then tapped it against his heart before lining out to center.
He drove a first-pitch, belt-high fastball from Austin Gomber (4-7) about a dozen rows into the right-field seats for a 3-1 lead in the fifth. After circling the bases on his 343rd home run, Votto emerged from the Reds dugout for a curtain call, wearing the celebratory Viking helmet and cape that have followed Cincinnati long balls this season. He had not homered since last Aug. 6 against Milwaukee’s Jake McGee.
Votto’s two-run single to center off Jake Bird put the Reds ahead 5-4 in the sixth. The 39-year-old, coming back from surgery to repair his left biceps and rotator cuff, had not played since last Aug. 16. The 2010 NL MVP went 2 for 3 with three RBIs.
Alex Young (1-0) walked Mike Moustakas with the bases loaded in the sixth, giving Colorado a 4-3 lead, then retired Jurickson Profar on an inning-ending grounder.
Singles by Moustakas and Profar put runners at the corners with no outs in the ninth, but Alexis Díaz got his 19th save in 20 chances, striking out Randal Grichuk and Ryan McMahon, then retiring Elias Díaz on a game-ending groundout.
Colorado dropped to 13-27 on the road. The Rockies, last in the NL West, are 16-19 at Coors Field.
Kevin Newman homered leading off the bottom of the first and Nick Senzel hit a solo homer in the second, his first home run since returning Friday from an IL stint caused by right knee irritation.
Elias Diaz hit a solo homer in the fourth and added an RBI single during a three-run sixth that included Jorge Alfaro’s run-scoring double.
TRAINERS ROOM
Rockies: INF Ezequiel Tovar was placed on the paternity list. … INF Connor Kaiser had his contract selected from Triple-A Albuquerque.
Reds: RHP Hunter Greene (right hip pain) was placed on the 15-day IL. …. RHP Kevin Herget was designated for assignment.
UP NEXT
RHP Ben Lively (4-4, 4.07) starts against the Rockies for the first time Tuesday night. LHP Kyle Freeland (4-8, 4.48) starts for Colorado.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
