CLEVELAND (AP) — The “Battle of Ohio” hasn’t been competitive when it takes place at Progressive Field. That theme continued Monday night.

Yan Gomes and Marlon Byrd homered in the sixth inning as the Cleveland Indians rallied from a four-run deficit to rout the Cincinnati Reds 15-6.

Cincinnati has lost 13 of its last 14 games in Cleveland, dating to 2011, and matched its largest blown lead of the season.

“Baseball is not played this way — at least from a pitching standpoint — and this is the hand that we’ve been dealt,” Reds manager Bryan Price said. “It was a tough night for everyone, to be honest with you.

“There were a lot of things that didn’t work today, but jeez Louise, we’ve got to be better than this.”

The Indians’ 19 hits were the most allowed by Cincinnati this year, while their 15 runs equaled the high-water mark in the annual series.

Eugenio Suarez hit a two-run homer, and Brandon Phillips and Adam Duvall drove in runs as the Reds built a 4-0 lead heading into the bottom of the third.

It went downhill from there as left-hander John Lamb (0-1) was rocked for nine hits and faced 16 batters over the next two innings. He allowed a career-high seven runs in four innings.

“Four runs should have been enough for me to help my team win a ballgame,” Lamb said. “I didn’t have any control on my secondary pitches, so I’m a little frustrated with my execution. I should have done a better job.”

Cincinnati’s defense didn’t help as center fielder Jose Peraza misplayed a fly ball by Francisco Lindor into a two-run double, and second baseman Phillips permitted a grounder by Mike Napoli to get under his glove for an RBI single in the third.

“We needed that,” Gomes said of the offensive eruption. “We had a nice little back and forth, and to extend the lead calmed us down a little bit.”

Layne Somsen, Caleb Cotham and J.C. Ramirez followed Lamb to the mound, and allowed eight runs (seven earned) over the final four innings. The Reds have the highest relief ERA in the majors by more than one run per game at 6.44.

“You’d love to have a starter go seven innings and have one reliever go two more in a win, but we haven’t had that much,” Price said. “When the Indians are averaging almost three baserunners an inning tonight, they could get very comfortable, and they did.”

Left-hander Tommy Hunter (1-1) earned the win with 1 2-3 perfect innings of relief. Jay Bruce had singled in two runs to cut Cincinnati’s deficit to 7-6 in the fifth before Hunter induced Duvall into an inning-ending double play.

WELCOME BACK

Reds OF Billy Hamilton was reinstated from the bereavement list. He pinch-hit in the ninth and went 0 for 1. Hamilton had traveled to his native Mississippi following the death of his 3-year-old nephew, K.C. Cole. … RHP Drew Hayes, who posted an 8.38 ERA in six games, was optioned to Triple-A Louisville to make room on the 25-man roster.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Reds: RHP Jon Moscot (non-throwing shoulder inflammation) began a minor-league rehabilitation assignment Sunday at Triple-A Louisville, allowing two runs in five innings at Columbus.

Indians: OF Michael Brantley (right shoulder soreness) will be examined Tuesday by Dr. Craig Morgan in Delaware. Morgan performed surgery on Brantley’s torn labrum in November.

UP NEXT

Reds: RHP Alfredo Simon is 1-0 with a 3.95 ERA in two May starts. He went winless in the opening month of the season while allowing 20 earned runs in 13 1-3 innings.

Indians: RHP Danny Salazar is winless in eight career interleague appearances. He is 0-3 with a 6.98 ERA over four starts against the NL Central.

Indians 15, Reds 6

Cincinnati AB R H BI BB SO Avg.

Cozart ss 4 1 1 0 0 1 .319

a-Hamilton ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .233

Suarez 3b 5 2 2 2 0 2 .255

Votto 1b 3 2 1 0 1 0 .218

Phillips 2b 3 0 1 1 1 0 .276

De Jesus 2b 0 0 0 0 0 0 .174

Bruce rf 4 0 2 2 0 0 .266

Holt rf 0 0 0 0 0 0 .279

Duvall lf 4 1 1 1 0 2 .284

Peraza cf 4 0 2 0 0 0 .333

Pacheco dh 4 0 1 0 0 0 .205

Cabrera c 4 0 1 0 0 0 .182

Totals 36 6 12 6 2 5

 

Cleveland AB R H BI BB SO Avg.

Davis cf-lf 4 2 2 1 2 1 .221

Kipnis 2b 4 1 2 2 0 1 .293

1-Martinez pr-2b 1 1 1 0 0 0 .600

Lindor ss 5 2 3 2 0 0 .309

Naquin cf 1 0 0 0 0 0 .323

Napoli 1b 3 1 2 2 2 1 .244

Santana dh 3 1 1 1 1 0 .222

Gomes c 4 1 2 4 0 0 .179

Gimenez c 0 0 0 0 0 0 .300

Jo.Ramirez lf-ss 4 2 2 0 1 0 .323

Byrd rf 5 3 3 2 0 1 .253

Uribe 3b 5 1 1 0 0 1 .212

Totals 39 15 19 14 6 5

 

Cincinnati 112 020 000 = 6 12 2

Cleveland 004 305 21x = 15 19 1

 

a-out on fielder’s choice for Cozart in the 9th.

1-ran for Kipnis in the 7th.

E—Cozart (6), Duvall (1), Martinez (1). LOB—Cincinnati 5, Cleveland 9. 2B—Votto (3), Phillips (7), Lindor (6), Jo.Ramirez (9), Martinez (1). HR—Duvall (7), off Anderson; Suarez (8), off Anderson; Gomes (6), off Somsen; Byrd (3), off Somsen. RBIs—Suarez 2 (23), Phillips (19), Bruce 2 (25), Duvall (15), Davis (12), Kipnis 2 (19), Lindor 2 (16), Napoli 2 (24), Santana (15), Gomes 4 (20), Byrd 2 (14). CS—Phillips (4). SF—Santana, Gomes. S—Kipnis.

Runners left in scoring position—Cincinnati 3 (Suarez 2, Cabrera); Cleveland 5 (Kipnis 2, Santana, Jo.Ramirez, Naquin). RISP—Cincinnati 1 for 5; Cleveland 6 for 14.

Runners moved up—Pacheco, Uribe. LIDP—Pacheco. GIDP—Bruce, Duvall, Jo.Ramirez.

DP—Cincinnati 1 (Cozart, Phillips, Votto); Cleveland 3 (Anderson, Napoli), (Kipnis, Napoli), (Uribe, Jo.Ramirez, Napoli).

 

Cincinnati IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA

Lamb L, 0-1 4 10 7 7 2 1 80 5.79

Somsen 1 1-3 5 5 5 3 2 51 19.29

Cotham 1 2-3 2 2 2 1 1 32 6.52

J..Ramirez 1 2 1 0 0 1 16 4.91

 

Cleveland IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA

Anderson 4 1-3 9 6 6 1 2 76 7.99

Crockett 0 1 0 0 0 0 9 6.00

Hunter W, 1-1 1 2-3 0 0 0 0 0 10 2.57

McAllister 1 0 0 0 0 1 16 1.93

Otero 2 2 0 0 0 2 30 1.29

Crockett pitched to 1 batter in the 5th.

Inherited runners-scored—Crockett 3-2, Hunter 2-0. IBB—off Anderson (Phillips).

Umpires—Home, Paul Emmel; First, Mike Everitt; Second, Tim Timmons; Third, Ryan Blakney.

T—3:13. A—12,184 (38,000).