CINCINNATI -- Rookie Sal Stewart has been on a heater since the season started, but the Reds first baseman took it to a whole other level early in Wednesday's game against the Giants.
Through two innings, Stewart already had two home runs and six RBIs after slugging a pair of three-run home runs to the opposite field during the Reds' 8-3 win at Great American Ball Park as they took the first two games of the three-game series.
With one out in the first inning vs. Giants starter Tyler Mahle, Stewart powered a 2-2 pitch over the right-center-field fence to give the Reds a 3-0 lead. Eugenio Suárez followed and made it back-to-back long balls when he hit a 2-0 pitch out to right field. It was Suárez's 192nd career homer with the Reds, surpassing Brandon Phillips for 12th on the franchise's all-time list.
Cincinnati's lead was 4-2 in the second inning when Mahle walked Matt McLain and Elly De La Cruz. That set up Stewart, who lifted an 0-1 pitch to right-center field once again for another three-run homer. Stewart's six RBIs are tied with Elly De La Cruz for the second most by a Reds rookie since rookie records started being kept in 1958, trailing only Robin Jennings (seven on Aug. 31, 2001).
It was the first time the 22-year-old Stewart produced a multihomer game. He has three homers in his past two games -- and seven overall this season, which is tied for second in the Majors.
Stewart debuted in the big leagues on Sept. 1 last season and already has 12 home runs in 36 career games. That ranks second in Reds history through 36 games, trailing only Aristides Aquino, who hit 15 in his first 36 games from 2018-19.
In the fourth inning, after De La Cruz hit a one-out solo homer to center field off Mahle, Stewart grounded out to third base in his third trip to the plate. He then struck out in the seventh inning against reliever JT Brubaker.