Six-run sixth helps Reds halt slide

CINCINNATI — Scott Schebler took mental notes before his at-bat in the sixth inning Saturday. The Reds outfielder watched how Colorado Rockies left-hander Mike Dunn approached Joey Votto, who like Schebler bats from the left side.

Don’t chase the slider, he observed to himself. Wait for a fastball.

After getting ahead, Dunn obliged. Schebler crushed it into the rightfield seats for a go-ahead three-run homer, capping a six-run inning and helping the Reds to a 12-8 victory at Great American Ball Park.

And it’s a good thing Schebler paid such close attention, because his memory stopped recording immediately after he made contact.

“He threw one over the plate for me to hit, and I put a good swing on it,” Schebler said. “I kind of blacked out after that.”

The win snapped a seven-game losing streak, and it was all the more unlikely considering how similarly it began to the losses that preceded it. The Reds were once again saddled with a short start, this time by right-hander Tim Adleman, who lasted just 4 ⅔ innings. Once again, a normally stalwart reliever fell apart when pitching at less than optimal rest.

Over the course of an endless fifth inning, the Reds went from leading 3-2 to trailing 10-3. Right-hander Asher Wojciechowski, called up that morning to serve as emergency relief, got warm in the bullpen. The towel was being thrown in.

Instead, the Reds achieved twin goals — winning the game, and saving the bullpen for the days to come. Wojciechowski (1-0) turned in 3 ⅔ scoreless innings. Between his entrance and exit, the Reds offense scored nine unanswered runs.

The rally began in the fifth, when Eugenio Suarez hit a solo home run to cut the lead to 8-4. Then Devin Mesoraco started the sixth with an upperdeck home run of his own to cutit to three.

Rockies right-hander Chad Qualls was pulled after putting two on with one out, giving way to Dunn (2-1), who walked Votto to load the bases, and Adam Duvall cut the deficit to two with a single. Suarez narrowed it to 8-7 with a sacrifice fly. Schebler then hit his 11th homer of the season.

The Reds added two more runs in the seventh to widen the cushion for Wojciechowski.