Cincinnati Reds LHP Wade Miley pitched five strong innings in the Reds' series-clinching win over the MLB-best Detroit Tigers Sunday.

Elly De La Cruz has been Cincinnati's hottest hitter, hitting a home run in each of his last four games, giving him 16 for the season. On Sunday, he served as the designated hitter, getting a rest from his customary shortstop position.

"It's a good check to see where we're at. It's gonna show what areas we need to work on, what areas we excel at," Nick Martinez said.

The Reds did tack on three too-little, too-late runs in the ninth when De La Cruz doubled home Santiago Espinal to make it 11-3, then Tyler Stephenson doubled in two more runs to make it 11-5. De La Cruz was 3-for-4, raising his average to .267.

The Cincinnati Reds view this weekend as a measuring stick to see just how much they have improved. The Reds pushed their record above .500 with a five-game winning streak that was snapped Wednesday.

The Tigers, who start a three-game series with the Reds on Friday, are 44-25, a start so dominant that the last Detroit club to break so strongly reached the 2006 World Series.

Elly De La Cruz continued his hot streak at the plate on Sunday, hitting a home run for the fourth consecutive game.