Reds' Sal Stewart eager to continue power surge in clash vs. Phillies

The Cincinnati Reds will continue to lean on a special rookie as they host the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday night in the decisive contest of a three-game series.

Sal Stewart, 22, tied and then set a record with his 18th and 19th home runs of the season in Cincinnati's 11-5 win over Philadelphia on Wednesday. The power surge broke the franchise's rookie pre-All-Star mark of 18 homers by Hall of Famer Frank Robinson in 1956.

Stewart also has a team-leading 64 RBIs, the third-most by a National League rookie before the All-Star break since 1933. Only Pete Alonso (68 in 2019) and Albert Pujols (66 in 2001) had more.

Stewart's first homer on Wednesday, a two-run shot in the third inning, came on a 3-2 count, while his next homer, a solo blast in the fourth, came on a 0-2 pitch.

"I think he's a good hitter to start with," Reds manager Terry Francona said after Wednesday's win. "I don't think you can just turn into a good two-strike hitter. Sometimes it looks like it's a big swing, but he can get to balls, and he fouls off a number of balls, and sometimes he then he gets something he can handle."

Both of Stewart's homers came to the opposite field and landed in the right-field seats.

"I just feel like if I could let the fastball travel as deep as I can, then I can kind of stay with the off-speed pitches, and it makes me more of a difficult out," Stewart said. "So I just try to be as complete as I can be. And at times this year, I've kind of gone away from that, and I've lost success. So I just got to get back to what I do, which is let heaters travel and stay on off-speed pitches."

Cincinnati hit five home runs on Wednesday, including four in the fourth inning.

On Thursday, the Phillies will send left-hander Jesus Luzardo (7-4, 3.75 ERA) to the mound in the series finale.

Luzardo has experienced a roller-coaster 2026 season. After signing a massive five-year, $135 million contract extension in March, the 28-year-old endured a rocky spring, pitching to a 5.77 ERA by early May.

Luzardo turned around his season by relying on a dominant sweeping breaking ball and powerful fastball that averages 96 mph. Through 18 starts, he has 125 strikeouts in 103 1/3 innings. He also reached a milestone with his 900th career strikeout during Saturday's 6-1 win over the Kansas City Royals.

Luzardo has a 1.78 ERA over late June and early July and earned his first career All-Star selection as a National League replacement.

"It's been a good year as a team, too, fighting back from a bad start," he said. "It's a good note, but something to continue to build on. ... I love everything about Philly. The team, the organization, the city. It's been a great time for me and my family."

Luzardo is 1-3 with a 4.26 ERA in four career appearances vs. Cincinnati.

The Reds will counter with right-hander Brady Singer (3-8, 5.03 ERA), making his 18th start of the season.

In his last start against Baltimore on Friday, Singer allowed three runs -- two earned -- on three hits over five innings of a 3-0 loss. Singer did not face the Phillies in May, when Cincinnati won two of three games in Philadelphia.

Singer is 1-1 with a 4.09 ERA in two career starts against the Phillies.

--Field Level Media