CINCINNATI (Interstat) — Nick Lodolo pitched six strong innings and Sal Stewart drove in the go-ahead run with a double in the eighth as the Cincinnati Reds defeated the Baltimore Orioles 3-2 Sunday afternoon at Great American Ball Park.

Lodolo allowed one earned run on six hits with four strikeouts over six innings to improve to 3-2. He worked through early traffic by inducing weak contact, stranding two runners in the third and keeping the Orioles off the scoreboard through the first five frames. Kyle Bradish took the loss after a gritty 7⅔-inning outing, permitting three runs on five hits while striking out five. His record fell to 5-9. Emilio Pagán earned his seventh save despite yielding a run in the ninth, closing the door when he got Adley Rutschman to line out to center with two runners aboard.

The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the fifth, when Spencer Steer turned the contest with one swing. After Eugenio Suárez drew a leadoff walk, Steer drove a 1-1 fastball from Bradish over the wall in right-center field for his 14th home run, tying the game at 2-2. The blast ended Bradish’s shutout bid and gave Cincinnati its first lead of the series after dropping the previous two games to Baltimore.

Baltimore had taken a 1-0 edge in the top of the sixth. Taylor Ward led off with a double off the left-field wall and moved to third on Pete Alonso’s groundout. Coby Mayo delivered an RBI single through the left side, deflected by third baseman Stewart, to score Ward. The Orioles loaded the bases later in the inning on walks to Tyler O’Neill and Leody Taveras, but Jeremiah Jackson struck out swinging to end the threat.

The Reds answered immediately in the bottom half, but Bradish settled down. He retired the side in order in the sixth and worked around a Tyler Stephenson single in the seventh by inducing a forceout. However, the Orioles could not break through against Cincinnati’s bullpen. Tejay Antone struck out two in a perfect seventh, and Brock Burke tossed a scoreless eighth with a pair of strikeouts.

The decisive moment came in the bottom of the eighth. With one out, Edwin Arroyo singled to center off Bradish. Elly De La Cruz struck out for the second out, bringing Stewart to the plate. Stewart, who had grounded out in his first three at-bats, laced a double down the left-field line that eluded Ward. Arroyo raced home from first, giving Cincinnati a 3-2 lead.

Baltimore fought back in the ninth against Pagán. Dylan Beavers walked and Taveras struck out before Jackson Holliday drew a two-out walk. Blaze Alexander singled to load the bases. Gunnar Henderson lifted a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Beavers to cut the deficit to 3-2. With two outs and runners at first and second, Rutschman lined out to center fielder TJ Friedl on a 1-2 pitch to end the game.

The Orioles managed seven hits, led by Ward’s two-hit day that included a double. Mayo drove in Baltimore’s first run. The Reds totaled five hits, with Steer’s homer providing the early equalizer and Stewart’s double the game-winner.

Lodolo’s performance marked his third straight start allowing one earned run or fewer. He had held Milwaukee to one hit over five innings on June 29 and two hits over four innings on June 23, both no-decisions in losses. The left-hander relied on a sharp curveball and fastball command, striking out four and walking none.

Bradish, meanwhile, matched Lodolo pitch for pitch through the first four innings. He allowed only two hits before Steer’s homer and did not walk a batter until the fifth. The right-hander exited after Arroyo’s single in the eighth, having thrown 98 pitches. Rico Garcia recorded the final out of the eighth on a popout.

The game, played in front of 17,601 fans, lasted 2 hours 44 minutes.

Baltimore fell to 42-50, while Cincinnati improved to 41-48. The Reds avoided a three-game sweep after dropping the first two contests of the series. Baltimore had won the opener 8-5 on Friday and took Saturday’s game 3-0.

The Orioles now return home for a six-game homestand beginning Tuesday against the Chicago Cubs. The Reds continue a homestand of their own, hosting the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Baltimore 4, Cincinnati 3. Interstat’s ELO system gave Cincinnati a 50.70 percent probability to win. Baltimore had been installed as the pregame favorite with a spread of minus-1.5. The total of five runs went under the over/under line of 9.5.