Jonathan India’s grand slam caps a 6-run 9th inning as Reds rally past Rockies 12-7

DENVER (AP) — Jonathan India hit his fourth career grand slam to cap a two-out, six-run rally in the ninth inning and the Cincinnati Reds beat the Colorado Rockies 12-7 on Wednesday to sweep the three-game series.

With the Reds trailing 7-6, Spencer Steer slugged a two-run homer off Jalen Beeks (2-3), who hit TJ Friedl with a pitch leading off the ninth.

“Felt good,” Steer said. “I had a couple of at-bats earlier in the game where they were big RBI spots and I didn’t come through. I was pretty pumped up.”

Beeks was two strikes away from his seventh save when Steer took him deep.

“A heater low and away, hit my spot, then we went heater top zone and he put a really good swing on it,” Beeks said of pitching to Steer. “I’m confident in my fastball, been throwing it a lot this year, so that was a tough one to swallow.”

After two singles and a walk loaded the bases, India blasted a pitch from Angel Chivilli for his second slam this season.

Friedl and Jeimer Candelario also went deep, Elly De La Cruz had three hits and Fernando Cruz (3-5) pitched an inning in relief for Cincinnati, which has won four straight.

The Reds scored 29 runs in the three-game series at Coors Field.

Elias Díaz hit a go-ahead homer in the fifth to put Colorado ahead 5-4. He added a run-scoring single and Brendan Rodgers had a sacrifice fly in the seventh. Díaz and Rodgers had three RBIs each for the Rockies.

Charlie Blackmon had three hits for Colorado, which has dropped five in a row.

The Rockies scored four times in the first against Reds starter Graham Ashcraft. Díaz drove in the first run with a bases-loaded groundout, Rodgers had a two-run single and Elehuris Montero made it 4-0 with a single.

Candelario’s two-run homer off Rockies starter Dakota Hudson in the third made it 4-2, and Friedl’s home run tied it. Hudson left after De La Cruz and Candelario followed with singles.

Jacob Hurtubise had an RBI triple in the eighth and scored on India’s sacrifice fly to make it 7-6.

“That just shows how much heart we have,” India said. “We never stop fighting, we’re in every game.”

Colorado outfielder Sean Bouchard left in the eighth inning with a sprained right ankle suffered running out a sacrifice bunt.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rockies: OF/INF Kris Bryant (back) was out of the lineup for the third straight game. Manager Bud Black said Bryant could land on the injured list if he doesn’t improve in the next “day or two.” … OF Nolan Jones (knee) served as the DH for Triple-A Albuquerque on Tuesday night and was slated to play in the field Wednesday night.

UP NEXT

Guardians: RHP Hunter Greene (3-2, 3.44 ERA) will open a four-game home series against the Chicago Cubs on Thursday night.

Rockies: RHP Cal Quantrill (4-4, 3.84) starts the first of a four-game series at St. Louis on Thursday night.