Sal Stewart's hot start continues in Reds' win over Giants

That hot start has only carried over despite the offensive struggles the Reds continue to have. Cincinnati had three total hits the entire game on Tuesday, but Stewart had one of them.

That one hit was a big one as Stewart blasted a 390-foot homer to right center off a 95 mph four-seam fastball from Giants pitcher Robbie Ray. It was also the ninth pitch of the at-bat.

That followed a solo shot from first baseman Spencer Steer in the third that gave the Reds the early 1-0 lead.

Stewart was only 1-for-3 in the game with a pair of strikeouts, but his season-long performance has been key to Cincinnati's ability to grind out wins when the offense is not entirely clicking.

In addition to his five home runs, 11 RBI, 13 walks and three stolen bases, Stewart's .310 batting average is the best on the team. In fact, the Reds have the second-worst batting average (.201) in the league, which again highlights the inefficient offense that continues to be a recurring theme for the Reds.

Stewart only appeared in 18 games last season and still managed to account for five homers and eight RBI in limited action. Through 17 games, he is already showing what he brings to this team each time he steps to the plate.

To be fair, Reds starting pitcher Brady Singer allowed just one run — a solo shot from shortstop Willy Adames in the fifth — and six hits with zero walks and one strikeout in just 75 pitches. This was the fifth time this season the Reds have allowed one run or fewer, so the pitching has at least done its past to give the offense some help.

If anything is certain on the lackluster offense so far, though, it is the consistency that Stewart continues to display amid a historic start to the season.