Joey Votto usually isn’t a player who shows a ton of emotion after a home run, but here he was letting all the excitement out.
Votto lifted a three-run homer to left field in the Cincinnati Reds’ 11-5 rout over the Colorado Rockies and he let everyone in Great American Ball Park know how he felt. He touched home plate, took off his helmet and shouted before high fiving his teammates.
Watching an animated Votto bob his head as walked toward the dugout, the crowd of 20,505 – the largest home crowd of the season – roared nearly as loud as it did during the homer.
"There are moments now, it's not quite as easy as it used to be when I was a younger player," Votto said. "Doing well feels that much more special."
The homer gave the Reds a 7-0 lead in the third inning, but it was more than that. Votto pumped his fist as he rounded first base, then let out a celebratory “woo” as he prepared to descend the dugout steps.
Earlier this week, Votto told rookie second baseman Jonathan India that he remembered the emotion India showed on his first career homer.
"I told him I admired his show of passion early in the year and I felt like it was something I wanted to add to my game – something I feel like I’m missing," Votto said. "More than anything, his reaction was natural. He wasn’t forcing it."
Votto, who will turn 38 in September, just returned from a monthlong stint on the injured list because of a broken left thumb. He has two hits since rejoining the lineup, both homers.
It was important to him that it was a homer against a left-handed pitcher because he entered Friday with a .147 batting average in 37 plate appearances against lefties this year.
"I want to be an everyday player," Votto said. "I want to be in the lineup and help the team. Not only do I get paid to do that – and that’s neither here nor there – it’s a pride that is very important to me.
"Last year, we missed 100 games due to COVID, right? I was bummed we missed all those games. You only get to play for so long. I’m trying to play as much as possible while I have the opportunity."
Votto's homer was a part of history. The Reds hit a home run in each of the first five innings, the first time that's happened in franchise history, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
All the homers came against Rockies starter Kyle Freeland. It was the fifth time in club history that the Reds hit five homers against one pitcher and the first time it’s happened since the 2011 season (Colorado’s Alex White and San Diego’s Tim Stauffer).
"They put on a clinic," Reds starting pitcher Tyler Mahle said. "It was crazy. Props to them for giving me an easy day."
Nick Castellanos, one of the hottest hitters on the planet, started the homer parade with a two-run blast to center field in the first inning. It followed a single from Jesse Winker as the dynamic duo continue to strike fear in opposing pitchers.
Freeland threw only nine pitches in the first inning, which is usually a good sign for pitchers. The Reds were on the attack.
"We need to win games and we need to win them fast," Votto said. "The season gets going quickly and falling behind is not a good thing, especially with so many competitive teams in our division. We’ve got to get hot as soon as possible."
It was Scott Heineman’s turn in the second inning. Starting exclusively against left-handed pitching, Heineman launched a two-run homer that hit the scoreboard panel in front of the second deck of seats in left field.
Following Votto’s three-run homer in the third inning, Kyle Farmer opened the fourth with a solo homer to left field. Tyler Stephenson led off the fifth with a solo homer to straightaway center.
The last time the Reds homered in five consecutive innings was April 21, 2015 in a 16-10 win against Milwaukee, according to Elias.
Mahle was cruising through the Rockies lineup until a 30-pitch sixth inning. Entering the sixth, he had allowed only one hit and had retired 13 of his last 14 batters. The one exception was a strikeout, but the batter reached on a wild pitch.
"I mean, when your team is hitting like that," Mahle said, "you can just go out and try to get outs, not try to do too much."
In the sixth inning, Mahle allowed three singles to load the bases. One run scored on a wild pitch and Ryan McMahon cleared the bases with a three-run homer to right field.
The Reds still held a five-run lead, but they still needed the bullpen to cover the last nine outs. Lucky for them, the offense helped once again.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Reds responded with two more runs. They loaded the bases through two walks and a single, which all came with two outs. Rockies reliever Lucas Gilbreath entered to face Votto and promptly threw eight straight pitches out of the strike zone to walk in two runs.
"Especially in a game like that, bouncing back, scoring the next inning does make a difference," Bell said. "It takes a lot of energy to come back. If the other team can add on again, it can have a definite effect on the rest of the game."
It was the eighth time this season that the Reds have scored more than 10 runs in a game at GABP.
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