Joey Votto slammed a three-run homer and Tyler Mahle threw seven shutout innings to lead the visiting Cincinnati Reds to a 6-1 win against the Philadelphia Phillies in the opener of their three-game series on Friday night.
Mahle (10-3) allowed three hits, struck out seven and didn’t walk a batter for the second straight outing. He reached double digits in wins for the first time in his five-year major-league career.
Nick Castellanos and Eugenio Suarez also homered, and Tyler Naquin and Tucker Barnhart contributed two hits apiece for the Reds.
Phillies right-hander Zack Wheeler (10-7) was coming off a two-hit shutout and blanked the Reds the first three innings before giving up the three-run blast to Votto.
Wheeler allowed four runs and four hits in six innings, striking out six and walking one.
Didi Gregorius had two of Philadelphia’s five hits, including an RBI double with two outs in the ninth to prevent the shutout.
Wheeler retired nine of the first 10 hitters before Naquin hit a grounder to first baseman Brad Miller and beat him to the bag to lead off the fourth. Wheeler then hit Castellanos up high with a pitch, bringing up Votto, who came in 11-for-23 in his past six games with three home runs.
Votto lifted a slider over the fence in center for a three-run homer and a 3-0 lead. It was his 26th home run of the season and 15th since the All-Star break.
Castellanos hit his 20th of the season in the sixth to make it 4-0.
Suarez, who moved over from third base to shortstop for the first time since May to give Kyle Farmer the night off, hit a two-run homer in the ninth to make it 6-0.
Reds left fielder Jesse Winker was a late scratch because of lower back tightness. Winker, who made his first All-Star team this season, is hitting .309 with 24 home runs and 71 RBIs.
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