NEW YORK (AP) — Frankie Montas made a triumphant return to Yankee Stadium, Nick Martini, Jonathan India and Spencer Steer homered and the Cincinnati Reds completed a three-game sweep of reeling New York with an 8-4 victory Thursday. Steer opened a 5-0 lead in the fifth inning with a three-run, opposite-field homer to right off Marcus Stroman (7-4). Jake Fraley boosted the advantage to 8-2 with a bases-loaded triple in the seventh against Jake Cousins as Cincinnati (42-45) became the first NL team to sweep a regular-season interleague series in the Bronx.
New York (54-35) has lost 13 of 17 games and 14 of 19 after a 49-21 start. Montas (4-6) ended a four-start winless streak, taking a shutout into the fifth and allowing two runs, four hits and three walks in five-plus innings. New York's Ben Rice, moved into the leadoff spot 15 games into his major league career, hit his first big league homer with a 407-foot drive into the Judge's Chambers in the right-field seats in the fifth.
Austin Wells had homered leading off the inning. Juan Soto added his 21st homer, a two-run drive against Nick Martinez in the seventh. A 31-year-old right-hander, Montas had an unsuccessful stint with the Yankees.
Acquired from Oakland at the 2022 trade deadline, Montas struggled to a 6.35 ERA over eight starts in a season cut short by right shoulder inflammation. He had surgery to repair the labrum on Feb.
15 last year and made his only appearance of the season on the final weekend . Montas became a.
