Reds' second base prospect Devin Lohman enjoys playing up the middle with Billy Hamilton as his double-play partner. On Tuesday, Lohman reaped the rewards of hitting behind the speedy leadoff hitter.

Lohman went 3-for-6 with his first multi-homer game and a career-high six RBIs in the Class A Advanced Bakersfield Blaze's 14-6 win over the host Visalia Rawhide.

"It's pretty easy when you have runners in scoring position all the time," Lohman said. "Tonight was all because of the guys getting on base.

"I don't believe I've had a two-home run game since Babe Ruth League when I was 14. I don't usually hit two home runs."

Lohman plated Billy Hamilton with an RBI groundout in the first inning after the shortstop doubled to lead off the game and stole third base. In the second, Hamilton drew a two-out walk and swiped second base -- his Minors-best 42nd steal -- and Lohman followed with a three-run homer off rookie Ross Gerdeman to left field.

"I had seen [Gerdeman's] slider early on, so I knew he was going to throw something off-speed," the 23-year-old said. "He left a slider up and it didn't break much and I was able to put the barrel on it. I thought it was gone, but I'm not a power hitter, so I ran it out."

Lohman then slugged his second longball of the night off Gerdeman with a two-run shot down the third-base line.

"It was a battle," Lohman added. "He kept throwing more off-speed and there were quite a few pitches. He threw a two-seam and left it up."

Lohman had three chances to smack his third homer, but he struck out in the fifth and the seventh and reached on an infield single in the ninth.

Selected in the third round of the 2010 Draft out of Long Beach State, Lohman has played alongside Hamilton at almost every stage of his development.

The pair played together in Billings in their first seasons of professional baseball in 2010, and Lohman spent most of last summer hitting behind MLB.com's No. 30 prospect in Dayton.

"We have a good professional connection and we know what each other's strengths are and we play off that. We both know each other pretty well," Lohman said.

"He sets the table really well and makes it each to get those RBIs. You're always able to get pitches [to hit] when he is on base."

The California native batted .239 with a homer and 31 RBIs in 64 Pioneer League games in 2010, and he hit .272 with 10 homers and 69 RBIs across three levels between Rookie-level Billings, Dayton and Bakersfield in 2011.

He had only plated more than three runs once before in his previous 238 games. He recorded five RBIs for the Mustangs in a 14-2 rout of the Great Falls Voyagers on Aug. 12, 2010 -- a game in which he also batted behind Hamilton.

On Tuesday, left fielder Juan Duran finished 3-for-5 with two doubles and four RBIs, and third baseman Travis Mattair collected three of Bakersfield's season-high 19 hits and scored three times.

Bakersfield starter Josh Smith (2-4) allowed four runs -- three earned -- on five hits and a walk while striking out five batters over 6 1/3 innings.

Gerdeman (0-1) allowed seven runs on nine hits and a walk while fanning four batters over 3 1/3 frames in his first Minors start.

Rawhide right fielder Bobby Borchering was 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored in the losing effort, while center fielder Keon Broxton and third baseman Carter Bell collected three hits apiece.