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 The Dodgers hit three fourth-inning homers, including two-run shots
by Yasiel Puig and A.J Ellis, and Brett Anderson allowed three
unearned runs in 6 2/3 innings of a 7-4 victory over the Cincinnati
Reds at Great American Ball Park.
It was the second straight win for the Dodgers (69-56), who arrived
in Cincinnati on Monday having lost five straight games and eight in
a row on the road.
A solo homer by left fielder Scott Van Slyke began a five-run
barrage in the fourth inning against Reds right-hander David
Holmberg (1-4), helping the Dodgers build a 6-0 lead.
Anderson (8-8), bolstered by the early run support, needed only 72
pitches to get through six innings.
"He was efficient," said manager Don Mattingly. "Just kept doing his
thing, changing speeds, working quick and getting outs."
He retired 11 straight into the seventh when a dropped pop fly by
second baseman Chase Utley sparked a two-out Reds rally.
"It was a semi-tough play for Chase and it got away from him,"
Mattingly said. "They scored three runs and then it's a different
game."
Left fielder Ivan De Jesus Jr.'s RBI hit and a two-run single to
center by catcher Brayan Pena cut the Dodgers' lead to 6-3.
Right-hander Pedro Villarreal pitched 3 1/3 scoreless innings to
give Cincinnati a chance.
"When you're not winning you have to find victories in other ways,"
manager Bryan Price said. "Pedro saved the rest of the bullpen and
didn't allow the Dodgers to get that separation. That gave us a
chance to comeback."
The Reds' rally continued in the eighth, when second baseman Brandon
Phillips delivered an RBI single against Juan Nicasio to make the
score 6-4.
With the tying runs aboard, Luis Avilan won a lefty-lefty matchup
with right fielder Jay Bruce, striking him out to end the inning.
"That's the part I love about relieving," Avilan said. "Those
situations with men on base."
First baseman Adrian Gonzalez's RBI double in the ninth provided a
cushion for Kenley Jansen, who allowed a hit and a walk before
notching his 25th save.
"Getting the ball to Kenley with the lead, I felt good," Mattingly
said. "But it was nice to get that extra run."
LA came out swinging on Wednesday, beginning with second baseman
Kike Hernandez's bases-loaded single to right, making the score 1-0
in the second.
In the fifth, Van Slyke led off with his fifth home run of the
season. After a walk to Utley, Ellis launched his fourth homer of
the year to center, putting the Dodgers ahead 4-0.
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"I'm struggling with consistency," Holmberg said. "The command is
really not there. I just have to work on repeating my delivery
between starts. Nobody wants to work up in the zone."
Puig's 413-foot, two-run blast to center put LA ahead 6-0, capping a
five-run inning against Holmberg (1-4), who was charged with six
earned runs and seven hits in 3 2/3 innings.
Not much went right during the first six innings for Cincinnati
(52-73), which has lost 11 of 12.
In the sixth, Hernandez broke his bat on a routine grounder. But
Reds shortstop Eugenio Suarez had to dodge the top of Hernandez's
bat, allowing the ball to roll into the outfield for a double.
Hernandez was left stranded by the Dodgers, who went 1-for-12 with
runners in scoring position.
"In this ballpark you don't want to let things get away from you,"
Mattingly said. "They made it interesting. One of those nights where
the game teaches you, you have to keep playing. You'd like to add
on."
Following the game, Anderson lamented one thing about his outing:
That he wasn't able to pick up Utley after his seventh-inning error.
"You want to pick up your teammate," he said. "I was mad at myself.
It was a weird game. My stuff was nothing to write home about. But
you take the win."
NOTES: Dodgers CF Joc Pederson, who hasn't played since Friday while
mired in a 5-for-41 slump, could return to the lineup for Thursday's
series finale against the Reds, manager Don Mattingly said. ...
Dodgers 2B Chase Utley took grounders at third base before
Wednesday's game. He's expected to back up 3B Justin Turner when
regular 2B Howie Kendrick comes off the disabled list. ... Reds OF
Brennan Boesch missed his fourth straight game with a deep bone
bruise after fouling a ball off his right ankle on Saturday. ... Los
Angeles has spent 133 days in first place, second only to the St.
Louis Cardinals, who have led the National League Central for 136
days.
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