CINCINNATI -- As the 2018 season opened, Phillip Ervin was the fifth outfielder when the Reds had a steady four-man outfield rotation. Sparse at-bats and playing time, with a lack of production in those limited chances, had Ervin back at Triple-A Louisville before the end of April.
Ervin returned after the All-Star break when injuries depleted the outfield ranks, and steady playing time has yielded stronger results. Friday night's 12-6 Reds victory over the Padres at Great American Ball Park underscored his increased value. In the first two-home run game of his big league career, it was Ervin's solo homer in the fourth inning that snapped a 4-4 tie. His perfect suicide squeeze bunt scored a run in the five-run sixth. A two-out, two-run homer came in the seventh, after the game was blown open by Scott Schebler's grand slam -- also in the sixth.
The grand slam was the Reds' 10th of the season, setting a new single-season franchise record.
Coming out of the All-Star break, the Reds had Schebler on the disabled list, and Jesse Winker soon followed with season-ending shoulder surgery. On July 30, Adam Duvall was traded to the Braves. Ervin was recalled on July 20 to replace Schebler and has started 33 of the last 46 games. He is batting .299 with five homers and 26 RBIs since his promotion.
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According to Ervin, there was no change in his hitting mechanics, or approach.
"It definitely helps when you get to play more regularly, so you can stay in your routine, get a rhythm going," Ervin said. "Just trying to take advantage of the opportunity I have, and just to have fun."

A two-hour and 37-minute rain delay preceded first pitch, but the game was lively in the early innings. Cincinnati took a 4-2 lead in the second inning on Jose Peraza's three-run double. But Anthony DeSclafani gave up Hunter Renfroe's solo homer in the third inning, and Manuel Margot's game-tying RBI double in the fourth, and he was pinch-hit for by reliever Michael Lorenzen in the bottom of the frame.

With one out in the bottom of the fourth, Ervin attacked reliever Matt Strahm's first-pitch fastball. It left the bat at 104.8 mph, according to Statcast™, and the only question was whether it would be fair or foul in left field. The ball landed inside the left-field foul pole to give Cincinnati a 5-4 lead, and Ervin his first long ball since Aug. 20.

Lorenzen worked three scoreless innings for the win, but he also benefited from a nice play by Ervin in the sixth. The outfielder ran to his right on a William Myers line drive toward the line and laid out for the diving catch.
"The big play was maybe making the play out in left field to snuff out any potential rally," Reds interim manager Jim Riggleman said. "[Ervin]'s done a great job. Winker went down and we needed somebody to get the majority of those at-bats out there, and Phil's taken it."

Defense has been a shortcoming of Ervin's since he's played every day -- both with his throwing and with his routes to the ball. But he's been working to make improvements.
"When you go out there and make a play for the pitcher, it just helps. It's just fun. I love making diving plays," Ervin said.
In the bottom of the sixth, with runners on the corners and one out, Ervin was given the sign to bunt by third-base coach Billy Hatcher.
"Just get it down. Just please get it down, put it in fair territory," Ervin thought.
Ervin did more than that. As Mason Williams sprinted home, he perfectly pushed a suicide-squeeze bunt between pitcher Rowan Wick and first baseman Eric Hosmer.

In the seventh with two outs, Ervin punctuated his big night by slugging a Miguel Diaz first-pitch fastball elevated over the plate for an opposite-field homer to right field and a four-RBI game.
"It felt really good. I can't even lie, I'm very excited about it," Ervin said of his night. "When I hit that second one, it was just like, I didn't even know what to think. I was more like praying, 'Please go, please go.' Very special moment for me."

MOMENT THAT MATTERED
Record-setting grand slam: Following Ervin's squeeze bunt, a Lorenzen bunt single loaded the bases. Schebler went after a 2-1 offering from Wick, hitting a no-doubter for the club-record-tying grand slam. The team's previous record was set in 2002, the final year the Reds played in Riverfront Stadium. The 10 grand slams are also the most by any Major League club this season.

"We've been looking at that on the screen for about two months," Schebler said. "It's really cool. That's a product of guys getting on base. I feel like we have an opportunity every night to hit a grand slam. It goes to people in front of me, not so much to me. I've actually struggled with the bases loaded this year."
HE SAID IT
"I think the most impressive thing was his catch tonight. Two homers, I'm sure that overshadows that, but I thought the catch was really, really impressive. He's been swinging the bat really well. He's just been getting into good counts, taking good pitches you need to take in order to get pitches to hit. He's been really impressive." -- Schebler, on Ervin
UP NEXT
Matt Harvey will get the ball for the Reds in the third game of the series, set for 4:10 p.m. ET on Saturday at Great American Ball Park. Harvey is 1-1 with a 3.45 ERA over his last five starts, and he took a 5-1 loss in his last outing vs. the Pirates on Monday when he gave up three earned runs over six innings. Robbie Erlin is slated to start for San Diego.