Pederson, Greinke homer to lift Dodgers past Reds

[August 17, 2015]  LOS ANGELES -- With center fielder Joc Pederson providing the expected, and right-hander Zack Greinke contributing the unexpected, the Los Angeles Dodgers maintained their distance from their closest divisional pursuer.

Pederson and Greinke hit successive solo home runs to give the Dodgers a 2-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday in front of 47,388 at Dodger Stadium.

The Dodgers used their third consecutive win to retain their 2 1/2-game lead over the second-place San Francisco Giants in the National League West while giving the Reds their ninth loss in 12 games.

Greinke (13-2) amassed eight strikeouts and yielded just one walk in his seven innings, while allowing one run on six hits in extending his personal winning streak to eight games.

"You've got to try to take advantage of opportunities," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "When Greinke's throwing the ball well, you know there's going to be limited opportunities."

Despite performing in heat that reached 98 degrees when he threw the first pitch, Greinke experienced no difficulty combining pitching with hitting.

"If you're feeling good and have enough energy to spare, then you might focus on your hitting," said Greinke, who won the Silver Slugger Award at his position in 2013. "If it's one of those games where you're just grinding the whole time, you try to save your energy for pitching."

Right-hander Kenley Jansen struck out two of the four batters he faced in a perfect 1 1/3 innings of relief for his 24th save. Jansen earned the save hours after his wife gave birth to the couple's second child and first son.

Pederson and Greinke hit their homers in the bottom of the fifth inning after Cincinnati broke a scoreless tie in the top of the fifth.

Pederson propelled a 94 mph fastball from right-hander Anthony DeSclafani halfway up the center-field bleachers for his 23rd homer of the season. Greinke followed by hitting DeSclafani's next pitch, another 94 mph fastball, two rows into the center-field bleachers for his second homer of the season and the sixth of his career.

In the top of the fifth, center fielder Billy Hamilton's sacrifice fly brought left fielder Marlon Byrd home to give the Reds a 1-0 lead. Byrd began the inning with a single, then moved to third base when Dodgers right fielder Yasiel Puig tried to make a diving catch on catcher Tucker Barnhart's sinking line drive. But the ball bounced just to Puig's left and past him, and Barnhart received credit for a double.

Hamilton's fly ball also sent Barnhart to third but second baseman Brandon Phillips ended the inning by sending a long fly to Pederson.

The Reds placed the potential tying run in scoring position in the seventh. Byrd lined a double off the left-field wall with one out, then Barnhart walked. But Greinke defused the threat by getting pinch-hitter Skip Schumaker to line out to left fielder Andre Ethier and Hamilton to ground out to third baseman Justin Turner.

DeSclafani (7-8) registered six strikeouts in his six innings but allowed two runs, six hits and two walks.

"He was terrific," Price said. "When he's on the mound, it never feels like he's in the middle of a crisis. In those high-leverage, high-pressure situations, he keeps coming after you. Under different circumstances, we've got a great chance to win the game."

Cincinnati had a chance to take an early lead after first baseman Joey Votto doubled with two out in the top of the first inning. Votto hit a sharp ground ball of the glove of diving second baseman Enrique Hernandez and hustled to second base as the ball bounded away. But third baseman Todd Frazier struck out to end the inning.

The Dodgers followed suit in the third, when catcher Yasmani Grandal walked and moved to second on Greinke's sacrifice with two out. Shortstop Jimmy Rollins then hit a long fly that Byrd caught in front of the fence down the left-field line.

Los Angeles had a better opportunity in the fourth. Hernandez hit a lead-off single to left field, moved to second when first baseman Adrian Gonzalez walked and took third when Turner flied to right. But DeSclafani struck out Ethier and Puig.

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