The Cleveland Guardians’ former players always seem to turn it up a notch when they get a chance to play against their old teammates.

Will Benson homered for the second straight game against his former squad as the Cincinnati Reds defeated the visiting Cleveland Guardians 4-1 on Saturday night.

Slade Cecconi (0-1) made his first start on the mound for Cleveland and shut out the Reds for the first four innings. He finished with eight strikeouts in five innings.

The Guardians couldn’t score against Reds starter Brent Suter, who only pitched three innings.

Daniel Schneemann broke the deadlock with a solo homer against Cincinnati reliever Lyon Richardson.

Benson tied the game in the bottom of the fifth with a homer off Cecconi. Benson has gone deep in three straight games.

REDS TAKE CONTROL

Cincinnati took a 3-1 lead in the sixth inning. Santiago Espinal singled to score TJ Friedl.

Austin Hays hit a double, and Espinal scored on a throwing error by third baseman Jose Ramirez.

The Reds added an insurance run in the seventh when Rece Hinds blasted a 423-foot homer to center field off Jakob Junis.

Cleveland only mustered eight hits off the Reds, two of them by right fielder Nolan Jones.

LAST CHANCE IN THE NATI

Cleveland (25-20) will try to salvage the final game of the series today, as the Reds (23-24) seek a 3-0 lead in the Ohio Cup competition.

Luis Ortiz (2-4) will start for the Guardians against Cincinnati’s Andrew Abbott (2-0). First pitch is set for 1:40 p.m.