Robbed by Tatis, Stephenson hits game-winning HR in the other direction

SAN DIEGO -- The Reds, in San Diego on a business trip, likely didn’t visit its world-class beaches. Instead it’s the dwindling sand in the season’s hourglass that has their attention.

The time to win is now, and the Reds did just that in defeating the Padres, 4-2, on Tuesday night at Petco Park.

After getting sand kicked in their face 24 hours earlier while squandering a 3-0 lead in a 4-3 loss, Cincinnati rebounded in keen fashion.

"After last night, this was a big game that we really needed to come away with," Reds starting pitcher Zack Littell said.

Littell was standing in a raucous clubhouse, thanks to his batterymate, Tyler Stephenson. Stephenson went from being robbed of a home run by Fernando Tatis Jr. in the second inning to smacking a two-run, go-ahead homer to left field off hard-throwing Robert Suarez in the ninth.

"He turned on a pretty good fastball," Reds manager Terry Francona said. "And because of that, you hear the music playing."

Few have Tatis’ rhythm in right field. His sensational grab wasn’t forgotten when he dug in later in the game.

"I’m sitting there for his next at-bat," Stephenson said. "And I’m like, ‘Really?'

"He made a hell of a play and he’s a hell of an athlete."

Before Stephenson went yard, the Reds were 2-for-26 in the series against the Padres’ bullpen.

"They have some really good arms and [Suarez] is one of the better closers in the league," Stephenson said. "It’s a really good bullpen, and to score runs on it is huge."

The victory to even the three-game set came with a side dish, as well.

The Reds pulled to within three games of the Mets for the final National League Wild Card spot. The Giants, also winners on Tuesday, are two games behind New York, one ahead of the Reds.

• Benson sacrifices body to make spectacular catch while crashing into wall

Front-and-center for the Reds was climbing off the mat after Monday’s meltdown. Cincinnati does many things well, but holding leads isn’t one of them.

The Reds have lost 37 games this season in which they possessed the advantage, and that includes eight such losses in their past 18 games. So like they did on Saturday in rebounding from a bullpen clunker in a 5-4 loss to the Mets on Friday, Cincinnati showed fight through its muscle.

Sal Stewart smoked a Statcast-projected 419-foot homer to center field in the first inning, with an exit velocity of 106.7 mph. Will Benson joined the long-ball brigade with a homer in the second inning for a 2-0 cushion.

For Stewart, who made his MLB debut on Sept. 1, it was the second homer of his career. For Benson, it was his first since Aug. 1.

Littell needed a "W" as much as the Reds did. He let a 5-0 lead slip away in his last outing, against the Blue Jays, with all five runs coming from the long ball.

In San Diego, Littell was sharp for four innings, retiring 11 straight and one point and yielding no runs. Then he walked Ramon Laureano to begin the bottom of the fifth, allowed a triple by Jackson Merrill and surrendered a sacrifice fly by Jake Cronenworth as the Padres tied the game, 2-2.

Littell exited after six innings, allowing just those two runs, two hits, a walk and a hit batter. He struck out four. He didn’t get the win, but his team did.

And it seems the Reds are sticking around in the playoff race.

"We’ve got to go win the series tomorrow," Stewart said. "We are on another mission."