Cincinnati >> TJ Friedl hit a decisive two-out, two-run double in the sixth inning, and the Cincinnati Reds rallied for their third straight win, 6-5 over the Twins on Tuesday night.

Cincinnati has won eight of its last 11 games to climb within two games of the third NL wild-card spot.

Byron Buxton’s solo homer off Andrew Abbott put the Twins ahead 1-0 in the third.

David Festa held Cincinnati hitless until the fourth when Will Benson’s two-run double put the Reds ahead 2-1.

Festa left the game in the fourth with a right hand contusion after allowing four runs, two earned.

Jake Fraley drove in two more runs with a single to make the score 4-1.

A throwing error by Reds third baseman Christian Encarnacion-Strand opened the door for a Twins rally in the sixth.

Harrison Bader’s three-run homer caromed over the wall off Fraley’s glove to put them ahead 5-4.

Abbott allowed five runs, but only one earned, dropping his earned-run average to 1.84.
He struck out five and didn’t walk a batter.

Friedl’s double in the sixth off Brock Stewart (1-1) drove home the go-ahead runs.

Emilio Pagán pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his 17th save. Scott Barlow (2-0) earned the victory for Cincinnati with 1 1/3 innings, striking out two.

Key moment

Buxton reached over the center field wall to rob Benson of a solo home run to end the second, then came to bat with one out in the third and hit a solo homer just over Friedl’s glove in nearly the same spot.

Key stat

Abbott has allowed a run in the first inning just once in his past 24 starts. He allowed five runs in the first on Aug. 7, 2024 against the Marlins.