CINCINNATI (Interstat) — Kyle Manzardo’s grand slam in the first inning and a go-ahead sacrifice bunt in the eighth propelled the Cleveland Guardians to a 6-5 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Monday night at Great American Ball Park.

The win snapped a three-game losing streak for Cleveland, which improved to 55-53. Cincinnati fell to 49-56 after losing for the fourth time in five games.

Manzardo, who entered the game in a 1-for-12 slump over his previous four contests, delivered the biggest blow of the night in the top of the first. After Steven Kwan grounded out, Jose Ramirez singled and Chase DeLauter reached on a fielding error by second baseman Edwin Arroyo. Travis Bazzana walked to load the bases. Brayan Rocchio flied out, bringing Manzardo to the plate. He crushed the first pitch he saw from Reds starter Chase Burns over the right-field wall for his 12th home run of the season, a grand slam that staked Cleveland to a 4-0 lead.

Cleveland threatened to add more in the second inning after Petey Halpin singled and Kwan singled to put runners at the corners, but Burns escaped when Ramirez flied out and DeLauter grounded out.

Cincinnati answered in the third. With one out, Elly De La Cruz singled sharply to center but was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double, center fielder Halpin firing to second baseman Bazzana for the out. Sal Stewart then homered to center field, his 22nd of the year, cutting the deficit to 4-1.

The Reds erupted for four runs in the fourth to take the lead. Nathaniel Lowe led off with a double and scored on Tyler Stephenson’s double to left. Stephenson moved to third on a groundout and scored on Edwin Arroyo’s single to center, making it 4-3. After TJ Friedl popped out, De La Cruz singled to put runners at first and second. Stewart followed with a single to left, driving in Arroyo and De La Cruz to give Cincinnati a 5-4 lead. JJ Bleday grounded out to end the inning.

Cleveland tied the game in the fifth. After Kwan struck out, Ramirez singled. DeLauter lifted a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Ramirez and knotting the score at 5-5. Bazzana grounded out to end the inning.

Both bullpens took over from there. Cleveland’s Franco Aleman delivered two hitless innings with five strikeouts, striking out the side in the fifth after the Reds had taken a brief lead. Cincinnati’s Chase Burns finished five innings, allowing five hits and one earned run with four strikeouts. Sam Moll, who entered in the eighth, took the loss.

The decisive rally came in the top of the eighth. With the score still tied, Ramirez grounded out. DeLauter singled sharply to center. Bazzana followed with a single to right, sending DeLauter to third. Rocchio then laid down a sacrifice bunt to the mound, allowing DeLauter to score and giving Cleveland a 6-5 lead. Manzardo walked, but Angel Martinez flied out to end the inning.

Cincinnati threatened in the bottom of the eighth. After Eugenio Suarez popped out, Lowe singled. Stephenson flied out, but Dane Myers reached on a soft ground ball to third, putting runners at first and second. Arroyo struck out swinging against reliever Hunter Gaddis to end the inning.

Cade Smith closed the door in the ninth for his 31st save of the season. Smith allowed a walk to Stewart but struck out De La Cruz on a foul tip and got Bleday to fly out to right.

Colin Holderman earned the win, pitching a scoreless seventh inning with one strikeout. Holderman improved to 6-2. Moll fell to 1-7.

Manzardo finished 1-for-3 with the grand slam and four runs batted in. Stewart went 2-for-3 with a homer and three RBIs. Ramirez had two hits and scored twice for Cleveland, which totaled nine hits. Cincinnati collected 11 hits but stranded seven runners.

Cleveland’s bullpen was particularly effective: Aleman struck out five in two perfect innings, Gaddis allowed two hits but no runs in the eighth, and Smith handled the ninth. For Cincinnati, relievers Chase Petty, Brock Burke and Pierce Johnson each tossed a scoreless inning, but the damage had been done.

The game featured a replay challenge in the first inning when Bazzana’s pitch result was overturned, leading to a walk. Another challenge in the sixth involving Arroyo’s pitch result was confirmed.

Cleveland’s lineup included Steven Kwan in left, Jose Ramirez at third, Chase DeLauter in right, Travis Bazzana at second, Brayan Rocchio at shortstop, Kyle Manzardo at first, Angel Martinez in right, Patrick Bailey at catcher, and Petey Halpin in center. Cincinnati’s lineup featured Elly De La Cruz at short, Sal Stewart at first, JJ Bleday in right, Eugenio Suarez at third, Nathaniel Lowe at designated hitter, Tyler Stephenson at catcher, Dane Myers in center, Edwin Arroyo at second, and TJ Friedl in left.

The game took 2 hours, 55 minutes in front of 16,866 fans at Great American Ball Park. The two teams meet again Tuesday in the second game of the three-game series. The Guardians then return home to host Arizona, while the Reds welcome Pittsburgh.

Interstat’s game simulator projected a final score of Cleveland 5, Cincinnati 4. Interstat’s ELO system gave Cleveland a 50.30 percent probability to win. Cincinnati was a pregame favorite with a spread of minus-1.5, and the total of 11 runs went under the over-under line of 8.5.