Greene pitches 7 sharp innings, Reds beat Diamondbacks after ugly loss

PHOENIX (AP) — Hunter Greene pitched seven effective innings, Will Benson hit a two-run homer and the Cincinnati Reds bounced back from a difficult loss with a 6-2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday night.

Arizona handed the reeling Reds a 6-5 loss on Monday night on Kevin Newman’s two-run single in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Cincinnati gave the Diamondbacks no chance of another late rally, racking up 13 hits while scoring six runs between the fourth and sixth innings.

“As a whole, we knew at some point we were going to start putting things together,” Benson said. “The past three days have been a testament to how collectively, as a whole we've been working hard every day.”

Benson homered off Slade Cecconi (1-3) in the fifth, and the Reds posted a pair of pinch-hit, run-scoring singles in the sixth for their second win in 13 games.

Greene (2-2) allowed two runs and five hits. He struck out five and walked one.

“Needed it for the boys, had to come through right there,” Greene said. “We've been working hard trying to stay with the process, just stay within ourselves, just try to go out there and do my job.”

Blaze Alexander hit a two-run single for Arizona, which had six hits. The Diamondbacks had three baserunners after Alexander's hit.

“A couple things we could do better,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “We could back up bases better, we could hit cutoff men a little better — the little things always show up.”

Cecconi was sharp in his previous start, allowing a run and three hits in 5 1/3 innings against Cincinnati last week.

The right-hander was hit hard in the second go-round against the Reds.

After Alexander's two-run single in the third, Cincinnati tied it in the fourth on Jake Fraley’s sacrifice fly and Jeimer Candelario’s run-scoring single. Benson put the Reds ahead with his fifth homer, a two-run shot near the pool deck in right-center.

Cecconi was lifted with two on and two out in the sixth. Pinch-hitters Santiago Espinal and Stuart Fairchild followed with run-scoring singles off Logan Allen.

Cecconi allowed six runs and seven hits.

“The thing that I've noticed in myself that needs to change and will change moving forward is that when I find myself getting hit is when I find myself trying to place the ball,” Cecconi said. “I'll usually try to take a mile per hour or two off to make a pitch and I'm learning that can't happen.”

TRAINER'S ROOM

Reds: LHP Brandon Williamson started a rehab assignment with Single-A Dayton as he works his way back from a left shoulder strain. ... LHP Alex Young (back) is expected to pitch for Triple-A Louisville at Columbus on Wednesday.

UP NEXT

Reds LHP Andrew Abbott (2-4, 3.35 ERA) faces Diamondbacks RHP Brandon Pfaadt (1-3, 4.60 ERA) in Wednesday's series finale.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb