DENVER (AP) — Spencer Steer hit a two-run homer and the Cincinnati Reds’ fourth lead of the night held up for 8-7 victory over Colorado on Friday night as a historically bad start continues for the Rockies.

Only five teams (including the 2024 Chicago White Sox and 2022 Reds, who both started 3-22) have had fewer wins through the first 25 games of an MLB season than the Rockies (4-21).

The Reds took a 1-0 lead in the first off starter Kyle Freeland. Elly De La Cruz singled with two outs and scored on a base hit by Noelvi Marte.

Adael Amador drew a bases-loaded walk off Reds starter Andrew Abbott to pull the Rockies even in the second.

De La Cruz led off the third with an infield hit, took third on a double by Hays and scored on a groundout from Marte. Steer — 1-for-19 against left-handers entering play — homered to left to make it 4-1.

Jordan Beck led off the bottom half with the first of his two solo shots . Michael Toglia tied it at 4-4 on a two-out ground-rule double with the bases loaded.

Santiago Espinal chased Freeland with an RBI single in the fifth. Blake Dunn added an RBI single off reliever Angel Chivilli to put the Reds up 6-4.

Colorado tied it in their half off reliever Ian Gibaut on an RBI single by Toglia and a sacrifice fly from Brenton Doyle.

Scott Alexander replaced Chivilli with the bases loaded in the seventh and walked Dunn. The Reds made it 8-6 on a ground out by TJ Friedl.

Beck’s second homer and fifth this season came in the eighth.

Key moment

The Rockies got a leadoff double from Hunter Goodman in the second before loading the bases with one out off Abbott. Amador walked to tie it at 1-1, but Abbott got Aaron Schunk to ground into a double play to end the inning.

Key stat

The Rockies have a minus-60 run differential. The next closest is the White Sox at minus-30 entering the night.

Up next

RHP Hunter Greene (2-2, 2.35) starts for the Reds on Saturday against Rockies’ RHP Antonio Senzatela (1-3, 4.81).

Reds 8, Rockies 7

Cincinnati	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg.
Friedl cf	5	0	0	1	0	1	.280
McLain dh	4	0	0	0	1	1	.169
De La Cruz ss	5	2	2	0	0	0	.252
Hays lf	4	2	2	0	1	1	.375
Marte 3b	5	1	3	2	0	0	.353
Steer 1b	4	2	1	2	0	1	.155
Espinal 2b	5	1	3	1	0	1	.293
Wynns c	4	0	0	0	1	3	.433
Dunn rf	4	0	2	2	1	0	.211
Totals	40	8	13	8	4	8

Colorado	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg.
Beck lf	3	2	2	2	2	1	.282
Bouchard rf	3	1	1	0	0	0	.214
Miller 2b	2	0	1	0	0	0	.500
McMahon 3b	5	0	0	0	0	1	.167
Goodman dh	3	3	2	0	2	0	.253
Stallings c	4	1	1	0	1	2	.200
Moniak cf-rf	4	0	0	0	1	1	.203
Toglia 1b	5	0	3	3	0	1	.207
Amador 2b	1	0	0	1	1	1	.125
a-Doyle ph-cf	1	0	0	1	0	0	.295
Schunk ss	3	0	0	0	0	0	.250
Farmer ss	1	0	0	0	0	0	.264
Totals	35	7	10	7	7	7

Cincinnati	103	020	200=8	13	0
Colorado	013	020	010=7	10	2

a-sacrificed for Amador in the 5th.

E–Bouchard (1), McMahon (2). LOB–Cincinnati 10, Colorado 9. 2B–Hays (2), Dunn (2), Goodman 2 (5), Toglia (4), Stallings (3). HR–Steer (2), off Freeland; Beck (4), off Abbott; Beck (5), off Santillan. RBIs–Marte 2 (10), Steer 2 (7), Espinal (3), Dunn 2 (7), Friedl (12), Amador (1), Beck 2 (9), Toglia 3 (9), Doyle (13). SB–Beck (4), Toglia (2), Marte (2). CS–Marte (1). SF–Doyle.

Runners left in scoring position–Cincinnati 6 (Steer, De La Cruz 3, Friedl 2); Colorado 5 (McMahon, Amador 2, Schunk, Stallings). RISP–Cincinnati 4 for 16; Colorado 4 for 13.

Runners moved up–Wynns, Dunn, Marte, Friedl, Miller, McMahon. GIDP–Schunk.

DP–Cincinnati 1 (Marte, Steer).

Cincinnati	IP		H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
Abbott	4		5	4	4	5	4	83	3.60
Gibaut	1		3	2	2	0	0	13	5.40
Ashcraft, W, 1-2	1		0	0	0	2	1	26	0.77
Rogers, H, 3	1		0	0	0	0	0	11	2.00
Santillan, H, 7	1		2	1	1	0	0	25	1.93
Pagán, S, 6-7	1		0	0	0	0	2	15	2.19

Colorado	IP		H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
Freeland	4	1-3	10	6	6	1	4	89	5.93
Chivilli, L, 0-2	2		2	2	2	1	3	30	5.40
Alexander		1-3	0	0	0	2	0	14	5.87
Agnos	1	1-3	1	0	0	0	0	20	0.00
Halvorsen	1		0	0	0	0	1	11	4.66

Inherited runners-scored–Chivilli 2-1, Alexander 3-2, Agnos 3-0. HBP–Chivilli (Steer).

Umpires–Home, Quinn Wolcott; First, Ramon De Jesus; Second, Paul Clemons; Third, Adrian Johnson.

T–3:12. A–21,743 (50,144).