CINCINNATI -- Adam Duvall already earned his role as the regular left fielder for the Reds. Now, he is continuing to prove he truly belongs in the Major Leagues as an everyday player.
Duvall delivered a key two-run home run in the eighth inning that provided insurance during a 9-5 Reds win over the Brewers on Thursday. It was Duvall's fifth homer of the season, and his third in the last three games.
"It's something you always try to prove," Duvall said of his current status. "You try to stay hungry and just keep battling. You'll go through your ups and downs."
Duvall hit a 1-0 pitch from Brewers reliever David Goforth over the fence in center field. It was the first time he has homered in three straight games and he's the first Reds player to do it this season.
"It's not just the home runs, but the doubles. He somehow finds a way to smoke at least one ball a game that does some damage," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "The other thing that has gone relatively unnoticed is how good he's gotten accustomed to playing left field."
Duvall is not just feeling good at the plate lately. He has focused more on trying to square up baseballs for hard contact. Entering the night, according to Fangraphs, he was getting hard contact 41.7 percent of the time -- the highest of his brief big league career. He's also hitting more to the middle of the field.
"I'm just trying to get good pitches now and focus on getting a good pitch to hit, not being overly aggressive and not being too patient," Duvall said. "I'm kind of getting into a groove right now. Hopefully we keep that rolling."