Reds 9, Phillies 4: Lowe's Two Doubles Power Series Win in Philadelphia

The lead

May 20, 2026 - Philadelphia - The Cincinnati Reds took two of three at Citizens Bank Park with a 9-4 win over the Philadelphia Phillies, handing interim manager Don Mattingly his first series loss at 16-6, per the Associated Press recap on CBS Sports.

Nathaniel Lowe doubled twice and drove in three, including a pivotal two-run double off Orion Kerkering in the seventh that broke a 5-4 game open. Sal Stewart hit his 12th homer; Spencer Steer extended his hitting streak to 11 games with two hits.

How the game turned

Andrew Abbott (4-2) allowed two runs (one earned) over 5⅓ innings. Aaron Nola (2-4) gave up four runs on eight hits in five frames for the loss.

Philadelphia trimmed a four-run deficit to one before Lowe's seventh-inning double. Alec Bohm and Edmundo Sosa homered for the Phillies, who played without Kyle Schwarber for a third straight game due to a stomach ailment, AP reported.

Pitching and matchup notes

Catcher P.J. Higgins drove in two runs but made two errors and allowed four stolen bases as Philadelphia ran aggressively on Cincinnati behind the plate.

AthX Engine tagged the Reds at 17 team FP, tied with Pittsburgh for the day's second-highest club mark.

Bats that changed the board

Lowe's leverage double turned a tight game into a rout. Stewart's homer supplied early thunder in a lineup that finished with 15 hits per the CBS line.

AthX Engine fantasy angle

Series-clinching offense without a single 15 FP hitter still lifts team FP when runs cluster across the order—AthX Engine values that volume separately from dynamic pricing.

What comes next

Cincinnati opens a home series against St. Louis on Friday; Philadelphia hosts Cleveland, per AP's probables.

*Sources: MLB.com schedule, MLB gameday wrap, CBS Sports recap, AthX Engine scoring. Information only; not financial advice.*