Lin-sanity: HR in 12th lifts Tribe over Reds

CINCINNATI — The Indians slugged three home runs, including Francisco Lindor’s shot in the top of the 12th inning, for an 8-7 comeback victory over the Reds on Wednesday, their third in a row in the Ohio Cup series.

“He hit that ball and that had a little different sound,” Indians manager Terry Francona said of Lindor’s game-deciding blast. “That was just a rocket. We needed something like that, because there was a lot of frustration.”

Three Reds home runs — two solo shots by Jay Bruce and a three-run blast by Eugenio Suarez — were matched by a pair of Rajai Davis homers for the Indians. Lindor provided the decider when he led off the 12th against freshly called-up reliever Keyvius Sampson. He slugged a 3-2 pitch over the fence in center for his third homer of the season to complete a late-inning comeback.

Cody Allen pitched two scoreless innings for the victory, while Dan Otero gave up a two-out hit and a two-out walk before getting his first save of the season.

Tony Cingrani was charged to close a 7-5 lead for the Reds in the ninth, but blew the save opportunity after he issued a one-out walk. Davis followed with the game-tying two-run homer to left. Leading off the third, Davis hit a homer to left against Reds starter Brandon Finnegan.

The Reds were trailing by a 4-1 score when they responded in the sixth against Mike Clevinger. Joey Votto hit a two-run double to the wall in right-center, which scored Zack Cozart and Billy Hamilton. Suarez’s homer to right field provided go-ahead runs and made it a 6-4 game.

Cleveland made it a one-run game in the top of the seventh when Jumbo Diaz walked two to set up Lindor’s RBI groundout. Bruce’s second homer of the night leading off the bottom of the eighth provided a two-run lead for insurance, but it was not quite enough.

“We’re talking about rebuild and wanting to do X, Y and Z. We want to win the games we should win, period,” said Reds manager Bryan Price. “And if we did that, at least we’re capable of being there with Pittsburgh and St. Louis if we can put some games away. It’s maddening.”

MOMENTS THAT MATTEREDGABP history made: In the bottom of the fourth inning with two outs, Bruce hit Clevinger’s first-pitch changeup for his first solo homer to the first row of right-field seats. It was his …

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