Recap: Reds Push Mat Latos Around To Rout Dodgers In Series Opener
Kiké Hernandez worked a one out walk and went first to third on a Gonzalez single that danced through the right side of the Reds’ infield. The Dodgers’ second threat of the night stalled as Suarez backhanded an Ethier one-hopper to start a 6-3 inning-ending double play. Todd Frazier momentarily broke out of his slump as he led off the fourth with a double to left-center field.
Frazier successfully stole third base thanks in large part to Callaspo not cleanly fielding the throw from Ellis. Marlon Byrd’s sac-fly to right field narrowly scored Frazier and the Reds led 3-0 before Latos managed to get out of the inning.
Pederson got the Dodgers on the board with an opposite-field solo home run in the bottom of the fourth that resembled more of a fly ball that simply kept carrying. The home run was Pederson’s 22nd of the season and first since July 25.
Hamilton continued to wreak havoc on Latos and the Dodgers as he hit a one-out single in the fifth inning and promptly stole second base. Phillips collected his second RBI of the night with a double that extended the Reds’ lead to 4-1.
Suarez then added to Latos’ troubles by following with an RBI double of his own. After striking out Frazier, Latos turned the ball over to Luis Avilan who needed just one pitch to get the Dodgers out of the inning.
Justin Turner, who entered in the top of the fifth with Avilan as part of a double switch, led off the bottom of the inning with a long single that hit the short fence in right field. Jimmy Rollins pulled a chopper to Votto that only resulted in an out at first base as Votto first juggled the ball.
After a Hernandez single put runners on the corners with one out, Gonzalez’s sacrifice fly to the warning track in left field cut the Reds’ lead to 5-2. Avilan struck out Byrd to open the sixth inning before finding himself in a jam.
A Barnhart walk was followed by consecutive singles from Jason Bourgeois and Hamilton to load the bases. With Philips due up, Dodgers manager Don Mattingly deployed a second double switch Pedro Baez and Carl Crawford replacing Avilan and Ethier.
Baez induced Phillips into a little tapper back to the mound only to bobble it, resulting in a run scoring and an out at first base. The Reds took advantage of Baez’s misplay as Suarez clubbed a three-run home run halfway up the pavilion in left field. Puig reached on an slow roller to Phillips with no outs in the bottom of the sixth and advanced to second base on a throwing error.
Crawford’s base hit moved Puig up another 90 feet and he scored by just beating Byrd’s throw on Pederson’s sacrifice fly. Jim Johnson worked around back-to-back base hits with no outs in the seventh to toss a scoreless inning of relief and keep the Dodgers’ deficit at 9-3.
Hamilton set a career high with a four-hit game by tagging J.P. Howell for a solo home run in the eighth inning. The Dodgers didn’t muster any offense the rest of the way and dropped the series opener, 10-3.
[divide]Clayton Kershaw On Joining Don Drysdale And Sandy Koufax
