'Real deal' Hinds hits 2nd HR in 2 days for Reds

CINCINNATI — Rookie outfielder Rece Hinds continued to make a splash in his first week in the majors, crushing a 458-foot shot as the Cincinnati Reds cruised to a 12-6 win over the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night.

The 23-year-old Hinds, promoted on Monday from Triple-A Louisville, hit a long homer for the second time in as many nights. He had a 421-foot shot in his major league debut on Monday, before teeing off on Colorado reliever Justin Lawrence as part of a four-run Cincinnati seventh. He came up a single short of hitting for the cycle as the Reds won a second straight game after being swept over the weekend by the Detroit Tigers.

Hinds, 23, the Reds’ No. 15 prospect according to MLB Pipeline’s latest rankings, has hit 907 feet of home runs in his first two games, which, according to ESPN Stats & Information research, is the second most by any player in his first two career games in the home run tracking era, which began in 2006. Only Trevor Story, who hit three home runs totaling 1,232 feet in his first two career games in 2016 for the Rockies, has registered more.

“He’s playing with confidence and having fun,” Reds manager David Bell said. “When you hit like that, you have a lot of fun. He’s contributing to wins, and these are big games for us. It’s a great start.”

Hinds, a 2019 second-round pick from Niceville, Florida, had his family in the stands and drew a standing ovation as he walked to the plate for the final time, needing just that single to complete the cycle. After he struck out, he still received an ovation as he walked back to the dugout.

“It’s special,” teammate and catcher Tyler Stephenson said of Hinds’ start in his postgame, on-field interview on Bally Sports. “I’ve known him for a long time. The power, the athletic ability, it’s there, it’s special, it’s the real deal. And when he hits the ball, he sure hits it.”

Will Benson hit a three-run homer in a five-run second inning for the Reds, and Stephenson and Spencer Steer also went deep as the Reds won for the fifth time in their past eight games.

Colorado starter Cal Quantrill (6-7) struck out the side in the first, but things fell apart for him in the second, starting with Stephenson’s 421-foot shot into the second deck in left field.

The Rockies scored four with two outs in the fourth inning behind a two-out solo homer by Brenton Doyle and a two-run shot by Michael Toglia. Doyle homered again in the eighth, but the Reds were already comfortably in front.

Reds starter Nick Lodolo allowed four runs and five hits in 3⅔ innings. Nick Martinez (3-5), the first in a string of six Cincinnati relievers, was credited with the win.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.