NEW YORK – Andrew Abbott was having too good of an afternoon and didn't want it slipping from his fingers. The Reds’ left-handed starter, followed by the bullpen, made sure it didn't during a 10-2 win over the Yankees on Saturday afternoon.
Rookie Sal Stewart also did more than his fair share to keep Cincinnati (36-39) ahead with a six-RBI performance that included the go-ahead runs in the third inning.
Abbott pitched five-plus innings and gave up one run, five hits and three walks while striking out six. His only hit through the first four innings was a two-out Paul Goldschmidt solo homer to right-center field in the bottom of the first.
Although Abbott had a comfortable five-run lead, back-to-back one out singles and a two-out walk loaded the bases in the New York fifth inning, and brought the dangerous Goldschmidt to the plate.
In a full count, Abbott threw a sweeper over the outside corner that was called for strike three. Goldschmidt challenged the call, but it was upheld by ABS and the Reds escaped.
Abbott returned for the bottom of the sixth inning and was lifted after giving up back-to-back singles. Reliever Tejay Antone retired the rest of the side in order and delivered two scoreless innings.
In the third inning against Yankees pitcher Will Warren with one out and the Reds trailing, 1-0, Edwin Arroyo hit a double to right field before Blake Dunn drew a walk. With two outs, Stewart delivered the go-ahead two-run double off the left-field wall.
The big inning came in the top of the fifth when JJ Bleday's one-out double put runners on second and third base. Stewart added a sacrifice fly to left field that scored Dunn. Two batters later came Spencer Steer, who hit Warren's 2-1 sinker that drifted upward into the left-field seats for a three-run homer and a five-run lead.
With the bases loaded in the eighth inning, Stewart cleared them with a three-run double to left field that gave him a career-high-tying six RBIs and put the game out of reach.
Despite some solid work, Abbott had gone unrewarded in his previous two starts as the offense scored a combined five runs in losses. But after a rough beginning to his season in which he had a 6.59 ERA, he is 5-2 with a 2.41 ERA over his last 10 starts.