The Reds reached the halfway point of the 162-game season with an 11-7 victory in 10 innings against the Baltimore Orioles. They won their sixth straight road series for the first time since 2010. They improved to 14-3 in the last 17 games and 5-3 in extra-inning games.
This also went down as the Reds’ 29th come-from-behind victory — they lead baseball in that category — because they trailed 4-3 after one inning, though they blew a 7-4 lead in the eighth before winning the game in the 10th.
Benson started the winning rally with an RBI triple. TJ Friedl followed with a two-run home run. Luke Maile scored on a wild pitch to add another insurance run.
“It’s our DNA,” Benson told reporters at Oriole Park. “That’s the makeup of this team. We do a really good job of staying calm in those situations. We really trust who we are as a whole. We pick up the bullpen. The bullpen picks us up. It’s back and forth.”
The Reds (43-38), who were off Thursday, stayed one half game in front of the Milwaukee Brewers (42-38) in the National League Central Division race. The Reds start a three-game series against the San Diego Padres (37-43) at Great American Ball Park on Friday before going back on the road for a six-game road trip that leads to the All-Star break.
Here’s a breakdown of the Reds after 81 games:
MVP: Closer Alexis Diaz, the Red most likely to make the All-Star team, ranks fourth in baseball with 22 saves. He’s two behind the Major League leader, Emmanuel Clase, of the Cleveland Guardians. Diaz is 3-1 with a 1.80 ERA in 36 appearances.
Diaz, 26, signed with the Reds in 2015 at 18 and rose slowly but steadily through the system before reaching the big leagues last season when he was 7-3 with a 1.84 ERA and 10 saves in 59 games.
Best hitter: Rookie Matt McLain has hit .321 with six home runs and 24 RBIs in 39 games. The Reds promoted him from the Triple-A Louisville Bats on May 15.
Best starter: With Nick Lodolo and Hunter Greene on the injured list, Andrew Abbott has turned into the only dependable starter for the Reds. Five starts into his career, he’s 4-0 with a 1.21 ERA. Reds starters still have the third-worst ERA in baseball (5.91).
The only player in Reds history with a lower ERA through his first five starts in the big leagues was Tom Browning (1.14 in 1984-85).
Abbott will make his next start Sunday. Graham Ashcraft (3-6, 7.17 ERA) and Brandon Williamson (1-1, 5.82) will star the first two games of the series.
Most improved player: Outfielder TJ Friedl hit .240 with eight home runs and 25 RBIs in 75 games last season as a rookie. He’s hitting .320 with six home runs and 31 RBIs this season. He’s hitting .342 since May 23.
Most exciting addition: Rookie infielder Elly De La Cruz snapped an 0-for-14 streak by going 2-for-6 Wednesday. He’s hitting .301 with three home runs, 11 RBIs and nine stolen bases 20 games into his career. He has eight multi-hit games.
Most disappointing performance: Veteran infielder/outfielder Wil Myers, a career .252 hitter, hit .189 in 37 games before being released June 23. The Reds signed him to a one-year contract in December.
Best game: Joey Votto hit two home runs and De La Cruz hit for the cycle on June 23 as the Reds beat the Braves beat the Braves 11-10 for their 12th straight victory. The Reds matched their longest winning streak of the modern era.
Best stat: The Reds rank second in baseball with 92 stolen bases behind only the Tampa Bay Rays, who have 99. Jonathan India, Jake Fraley and Friedl all have stolen 12 bases.
Worst stat: The Reds have allowed 418 runs, the most by any team in baseball with a winning record.
Best sign: The Reds are 15 games better at the halfway point this season compared to last season when they were 28-53 through 81 games. This is their best record at this point since they had the same mark in 2014.
The last two Reds teams to win the division were 44-37 (2012) and 46-35 (2010) through 81 games. The last Reds teams to win a playoff series (1995) and the World Series (1990) were both 51-30 at the midway point.
FRIDAY’S GAME
Padres at Reds, 5:10 p.m., Bally Sports Ohio, 700, 1410
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