Hays posts big game (2 HRs, 6 RBIs) in quest to reestablish self

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- If Austin Hays wants to keep proving himself, manager Terry Francona certainly won't stand in his way.

During the Reds' 8-1 win over the Dodgers on Monday, Hays provided the bulk of the offense while going 3-for-3 with a double, two home runs and six RBIs.

“Sheez. For some of us, that’s like two-thirds of a year," Francona joked.

In the bottom of the first inning against Dodgers starter Tyler Glasnow, Hays drove a two-out, two-run double off the wall in right-center field that scored Elly De La Cruz and Tyler Stephenson. He was thrown out trying for a triple to end the inning, but the Reds had a 2-0 lead.

With a man on first base and no outs in the fourth inning against lefty reliever Tanner Scott, Hays hit his first homer over the bullpens in left field to make it a 4-1 game.

Hays was back up again in the fifth inning of a 5-1 game against Blake Treinen when he lifted a two-out, two-run homer to right-center field.

The six RBIs was tied for the most by a Reds player since they moved Spring Training operations to Arizona in 2010. Yasiel Puig also drove in six runs vs. Cleveland on March 17, 2019.

Hays' three extra-base hits also equaled a Reds high in the Cactus League with Chris Dominguez (2015) and Joey Votto (2022).

"That was impressive. I know a month from now, that’s not going to matter, but it’s fun to watch," Francona said.

A free-agent acquisition in the offseason who was a 2023 All-Star with Baltimore, Hays is secure in having a roster spot when Spring Training ends. But after an injury-filled 2024 for the Orioles and Phillies that drained his production, he is eyeing a big comeback season.

“I just want to prove I am myself and back to who I can be on the field, the level of effort I can play with," Hays said earlier this month. "I felt unable to get there when I was playing through the stuff I went through last year."