For the second time this season, the Reds ran roughshod over Gray, a former member of the Reds pitching staff.
And Steer was a monster with two home runs and five RBI as the Reds routed Gray and the Cardinals, 6-1. Gray has given up six runs only three times this season, twice to the Reds.
Gray, an 11-game winner with a 3.65 earned run average, faced the Reds on June 29 and was ripped for six runs and seven hits in 4 1/3 innings.
On Monday night in Great American Ball Park, it was deja vu all over again for Grunter Gray, who grunts loudly on every delivery — six runs, five hits, three homers in five innings.
Bell decided to give second baseman Jonathan India a night off due to his 1 for 25 struggles.
Not only did he put Steer at India’s second base position, he put him in India’s leadoff spot.
Gray was on a strikeout roll to start the game. He struck out five of the first six Reds. But he walked Jake Fraley to open the third.
He struck out Noelvi Marte and Will Benson, seven strikeouts of the first nine hitters.
Steer unloaded. He drove a 0-and-1 93 mph sinker 360 feet into the third row of the left field seats to give the Reds a 2-1 lead.
Gray’s next pitch to Elly De La Cruz was ripped 399 feet into the right field bleacheers, just the second time in his career Gray has given up back-to-back home runs.
Jake Fraley led off the fifth with a single and Benson walked.
Then came an eventful at bat for Steer. First, Gray was called for a time violation. Ball one.
Gray threw a pitch that appeared to be a strike, but umpire Stu Sheuwalter called it a ball. Large protest emanated from the St. Louis dugout. And manager Marmol was ejected.
The count went to 3-and-1 and Steer struck again.
This homer, a three-run rip, covered 390 feet off a 92 mph fastball. It was Steer’s first two-homer game and gave the Reds a 6-1 lead that stood the test the rest of the way.
“I like batting leadoff and second base is my most natural position,” Steer said before the game, even though most of this season he has played left field and first base.
“I think I did a good job of just keeping it simple,” he said during a post-game interview with Bally Sports Ohio. “Once I get in the box I just trust in my swing and hope the pitch is going to be there.”
Gray struck out Steer in the first inning on a four-seam fastball, but Steer steered a sinker over the wall for his first home run.
“I think I did a good job covering that sinker in,” he said. “He tried to get me on a four-seam fastball away on the second homer because he got me with one my first at bat. I was looking out over the plate for that four-seamer and got it and put a good swing on it.”
The homers were Nos. 17 and 18 for Steer. He also walked in the seventh and stole second, his 19th steal.
Gray had the fast start and it was just the opposite for Reds starter Andrew Abbott, loser in his previous three starts.
He had to work out of two bases-loaded situations in the first three innings and escaped with one run.
The Cardinals filled the bases in the second on Paul Goldschmidt’s one-out double, a walk and a hit batsman. But Pedro Pages hit into an inning-ending double play started by Steer.
St. Louis filled the bases in the third after Abbott retired the first two. Willson Contreras singled, Tommy Pham walked and Nolan Arenado singled home Contreras for a 1-0 lead.
Goldschmidt rolled an infield single that was stopped on a dive by Steer, preventing a run as the bases filled up. Abbott struck out Brendan Donovan to lead them loaded.
And that was it for the Cardinals. Abbott retired 11 straight until Pages singled with one out in the seventh. When De La Cruz made an error with two outs, putting two on, Abbott was done but on his way to becoming Cincinnati’s first 10-game winner (10-9) this season.
Jakob Junis replaced Abbott and struck out Contreras to put out the minor conflagraation. Junis finished the game in perfect style — 2 1/3 innings, no runs, no hits, no walks, three strikeouts.
The win opened a three-game series against the Cardinals, one of the team’s the Reds are chasing for the third National League wild card spot. The Reds have passed the Pirates, but are still chasing the Chicago Cubs, Cardinals, Giants and Mets.
“We just have to bounce back tomorrow and play another clean game,” said Steer. “Our pitching has been great and we’re playing clean defense. Hopefully, our wins keep stacking up.”
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