Sal Stewart hits a pair of 3-run homers and has career-high 6 RBIs as Reds beat Giants 8-3

CINCINNATI (AP) — Sal Stewart hit a pair of three-run home runs for a career-high six RBIs, Eugenio Suarez and Elly De La Cruz also homered, and the Cincinnati Reds beat the San Francisco Giants 8-3 on Wednesday night.

The 22-year-old Stewart has 12 career homers, the most by a Reds batter through his first 36 games since Aristedes Aquino hit 15 in 2018-19.

Stewart is the second-youngest Reds player with six RBIs in a game — behind De La Cruz, who drove in six on Aug. 23, 2003 at the age of 21.

Rookie Rhett Lowder (2-1) allowed three runs in 6 2/3 innings for Cincinnati.

Former Red Tyler Mahle (0-3) started for San Francisco and allowed eight runs with five walks and four homers in four innings, raising his ERA from 4.30 to 7.23.

With two runners on in the first, Stewart hit his sixth home run to right-center. Three pitches later, Suarez reached the first row of seats in right to make it 4-0.

It was Suarez's 192nd homer as a Red, moving him past Brandon Phillips into 12th place on the franchise's career list. Suarez had three hits in a game for the first time since rejoining the Reds.

Daniel Susac's two-run double in the second inning cut the Giants' deficit to 4-2.

Following a pair of two-out walks by Mahle, Stewart launched his team-leading seventh homer to make the score 7-2. It was his first career multi-homer game.

De La Cruz made it 8-2 in the fourth with his sixth homer of the season, which sailed an estimated 442 feet to center.

Giants RHP Landen Roupp (2-1, 3.24 ERA) will face Reds RHP Chase Burns (1-1, 3.31) in the series finale on Thursday.

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Cincinnati Reds pitcher Rhett Lowder throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants in Cincinnati, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

San Francisco Giants pitcher Tyler Mahle throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds in Cincinnati, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Cincinnati Reds' Sal Stewart runs the bases after hitting a three-run homer during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants in Cincinnati, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Cincinnati Reds' Eugenio Suárez rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants in Cincinnati, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Cincinnati Reds' Sal Stewart runs the bases after hitting a three-run homer during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants in Cincinnati, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Carmen Mlodzinski allowed two hits over a career-high six innings and the Pittsburgh Pirates edged the Washington Nationals 2-0 on Wednesday night.

Mlodzinski (1-0) took over for opener Mason Montgomery in the second and struck out five against two walks to lower his ERA to 1.77. Dennis Santana worked the ninth for his second save.

Ryan O'Hearn had three hits for the Pirates, who have won 10 of 14. Marcell Ozuna and Nick Gonzales had first-inning RBI singles against Jake Irvin (1-2), and it proved to be enough as four pitchers combined for Pittsburgh's second shutout in less than a week.

Mlodzinski began this season as a full-fledged starter for the first time in his four-year career after bouncing between the rotation and the bullpen last season.

While he was excellent through his first three turns in 2026, manager Don Kelly opted to give the ball to the left-handed Montgomery in the first inning on Wednesday in hopes of dealing with the left-hand-heavy top of Washington's lineup while also allowing Mlodzinski to work deeper into the game.

Montgomery allowed a one-out double to Curtis Mead. Mead advanced to third on a groundout but stopped there after Montgomery fanned Brady House to end the inning.

It would be as close as the Nationals, whose 99 runs through 17 games coming in were tied for the best offensive start in franchise history, would get to scoring all night.

Mlodzinski entered in the top of the second and hit CJ Abrams before settling down. His only real spot of trouble came in the fifth, when a single and a walk put two on with one out. He retired James Wood on a long flyout to left and then forced Mead into a grounder to third to end the threat.

The four-game series wraps up on Thursday. Foster Griffin (2-0, 1.76 ERA) starts for the Nationals against Pittsburgh's Braxton Ashcraft (1-1, 2.12).

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Pittsburgh Pirates' Ryan O'Hearn, right, returns to the dugout after celebrating with Nick Yorke after scoring on a single by Nick Gonzales off Washington Nationals pitcher Jake Irvin during the first inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Pittsburgh Pirates' Marcell Ozuna celebrates as he stands on first base after driving in a run with a single off Washington Nationals pitcher Jake Irvin during the first inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Carmen Mlodzinski delivers during the second inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals in Pittsburgh, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)