Reds beat Padres 4-2, extend winning streak to 3 games

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Luis Castillo matched a season high with nine strikeouts and Jesse Winker added a pinch-hit homer as the Cincinnati Reds beat San Diego 4-2 Saturday and extended the Padres‘ losing streak to six games.

The Reds won their third straight after arriving in San Diego mired in a four-game losing streak.

Castillo (2-1) pitched six innings and was charged with one run, four hits and a walk. After Eric Hosmer (three hits, two RBIs) homered in the second inning, only one other Padres player reached scoring position.

Raisel Iglesias got the last three outs for his fourth save.

Rookie Fernando Tatis Jr. had his first career triple to lead off the eighth inning, extending his hitting streak to nine games. Manny Machado walked and Hosmer drove in Tatis, cutting the deficit to 4-2. Wil Myers grounded out to end the inning.

Eric Lauer (2-3) pitched five innings, giving up three runs and six hits, with two walks. Lauer struck out five and lost for the third time in four starts.

Winker’s fourth career pinch-hit homer in the seventh inning gave the Reds a 4-1 lead. Winker leads the Reds with six home runs.

Lauer led the majors last season with 10 pickoffs. But when he tried to catch Eugenio Suarez, who walked to start the fifth inning, his erratic throw produced a two-base error. Yasiel Puig then drove in Suarez with a sacrifice fly for 3-1 advantage.

In the fourth inning, Scott Schebler and Kyle Farmer reached on hits and Tucker Barnhart had an RBI single to give the Reds as 2-1 lead.

Hosmer tied the game at 1 in the second with his second homer of the season.

The Reds struck in the first when Jose Peraza, who batted leadoff for the first time and ended a career-worst 0-for-24 streak with a single, scored on a single by Jose Iglesias.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Reds: 1B Joey Votto (back) was out of the lineup, but expected to play in Sunday’s series finale.

UP NEXT

Reds: RHP Tyler Mahle (0-1, 2.65), who’s been among the top rookie pitchers this season, is scheduled to make his fourth start.

Padres: LHP Joey Lucchesi (2-2, 4.40) is expected to start. He is looking to snap a two-game losing streak.