Reds hope momentum of first series win carries into week

The Reds are starting the week with three games against one of the top teams in the National League in the Milwaukee Brewers, so Cincinnati desperately needs some momentum to carry over from their first series win of the season.

Facing his former team, Colin Moran played the hero against the Pittsburgh Pirates Sunday. He connected on a 92mph fastball from reliever Heath Hembree and watched the ball sail into the seats for his first homer in a Reds uni- form. He added another two-run homer in the eighth inning, lifting the Reds to a 7-3 victory at Great American Ball Park.

“It feels good any time you hit a grand slam," Moran said, "but yeah, that one felt good.”

Hembree, who recorded eight saves with the Reds last year, entered with a one-run lead in a bases-loaded, no-out jam.

The lead didn't last long. Moran sent the crowd of 17,623 into a frenzy with the fifth grand slam of his career. And Hembree didn't hide his frustration at the end of the inning, throwing his glove toward the bench when he walked down the dugout stairs.

Pitcher Tyler Mahle gave the Reds one of their best starts of the season, permitting one hit and three walks across five innings. He did, however, need 106 pitches to record his 15 outs. He struck out six, relying more on his fastball.

"In the at-bat I gave up the homer in

Milwaukee, I went splitter, slider, slider," Mahle said referring to his previous start. "I didn't want that to happen again today . ... I didn't want to get hurt on my third-best pitch."

Pittsburgh was the first team the Reds faced this season with a losing record, which was one of the many reasons the Reds were off to the worst start in franchise history, winning just five of their first 28 games. The Reds nearly doubled their season's win total in the threegame set.

One series win doesn't erase a historically poor April, but it's finally something positive. Kyle Farmer walked past Mahle's postgame press conference and shouted, "We won a series!"

"This can be where it starts," manager David Bell said.

ALBERT CESARE / THE ENQUIRER Reds first baseman Colin Moran’s first home run for Cincinnati was a grand slam against the Pirates Sunday, which he celebrates here with third base coach J.R. House.