Andrew Abbott controlled the game from the first pitch, carrying a shutout through six innings as Cincinnati defeated Houston 5-0 at Great American Ball Park on Sunday afternoon.
Abbott (2-2) allowed three hits and one walk while striking out five over six innings. The left-hander carried a 4.47 ERA into the start and earned his second win of the season with the dominant performance.
The Reds broke through in the fourth inning when Bleday tripled to right, scoring De La Cruz and Stewart to put Cincinnati ahead 2-0. Stephenson followed with a single to right that brought Bleday home for a 3-0 advantage. De La Cruz scored again in the fifth on a walk to McLain, extending the lead to 4-0. Steer capped the scoring in the sixth with a solo homer to left that traveled 355 feet.
Kai-Wei Teng (1-3) took the loss for Houston, allowing five hits and three runs over three innings. The right-hander walked one and struck out one in the shortened outing. His ERA stands at 3.12.
Cincinnati improved to 21-19 and snapped a losing streak. Houston fell to 16-24 with the defeat.