CINCINNATI — Apparently, the Reds were capable of scoring against the Dodgers after all.
Elly De La Cruz launched a two-run homer, Dane Myers added a solo shot and Cincinnati defeated Los Angeles 6-2 Wednesday night at Great American Ball Park.
The victory snapped Cincinnati’s two-game losing streak and prevented the Dodgers from clinching the National League West—at least for one more night.
Los Angeles took a 1-0 lead in the third when Mookie Betts singled and scored on Will Smith’s double. Cincinnati responded immediately.
Matt McLain reached on an infield single before De La Cruz crushed his 28th homer of the season into the right-field seats. The two-run shot gave Cincinnati its first lead of the series and accounted for more offense than the Reds produced during the first two games combined.
Myers extended the advantage in the fifth, launching his seventh homer of the season to right-center field.
Andrew Abbott battled through 4? innings, allowing one run on three hits. He walked five, struck out five and needed 98 pitches to record 14 outs, but repeatedly escaped trouble and kept the Dodgers from turning those free passes into significant damage.
Los Angeles pulled within one during the sixth when Tommy Edman’s groundout scored Kyle Tucker. Julian Garcia allowed the run before Tejay Antone recorded the final out and stranded two runners in scoring position.
The Reds answered once again.
Sal Stewart and Tyler Stephenson opened the bottom of the sixth with consecutive singles before Juan Brito dropped an RBI single into shallow right field, restoring Cincinnati’s two-run lead.
Stewart added an RBI single during the seventh, scoring McLain, before TJ Friedl drove home De La Cruz with a single to center. Stewart was thrown out at the plate attempting to score another run, but Cincinnati had already stretched its advantage to 6-2.
Stewart finished 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored, while Brito collected three hits and drove in one. José Treviño, JJ Bleday, Stephenson and Friedl also contributed to Cincinnati’s 12-hit performance.
Antone earned the victory after retiring the only batter he faced. Brock Burke, Graham Ashcraft and Emilio Pagán followed with three scoreless innings, combining to allow two hits while striking out six. Pagán struck out the side in the ninth.
It has been an ugly stretch, and one victory doesn’t suddenly repair Cincinnati’s season. Still, after scoring only one run during the first two games of the series, watching the Reds produce 12 hits and repeatedly answer the Dodgers was a welcome change.
At this point, we’ll take progress wherever we can find it.
What’s Next: Cincinnati concludes its four-game series against Los Angeles Thursday at 12:40 p.m. ET. Brady Singer is scheduled to start for the Reds.
