When Tyler Glasnow gives up a two home run and five walks in four innings, it figures the Reds would beat the Dodgers.
When the bullpen inherits a two-run lead in the seventh inning, it figures the Reds would beat the Dodgers.
But it didn’t figure at all for the Reds Tuesday night in Great American Ball Park.
Down 4-2 in the seventh, the Dodgers scored two runs off Graham Ashcraft to tie it, then scored the winning run in the ninth off Emilio Pagan to post a 5-4 victory.
Perhaps it should have figured. The Dodgers lead MLB in comeback wins and Tuesday’s was their 37th.
The ninth inning was a two-car head-on collision for the Reds.
It began when LA’s Michael Conforto forced Pagan to make 10 pitches before drawing a full count walk. Pagan then retired the next two, two of the most dangerous in Mookie Betts and Ohtani on weak fly balls.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
But All-Star catcher Will Smith pulled one down the left field line to the wall. Pinch-runner James Outman was only halfway between third and home when Reds shortstop Elly De LA Cruz bobbled Gavin Lux’s relay throw.
With De La Cruz’s arm, had he not fumbled the relay he probably would have gunned down Outman for the third out, keeping it at 4-4.
Instead Outman scored, then LA’s Alex Vesia pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to lock down the Dodgers second straight win and clinch the series.
About playing the Dodgers, Reds manager Tito Francona told reporters, “It’s like that all the time. You can’t ever take a deep breath, ever. That’s part of why they’re good.”
It all started so well for the Reds. Lodolo struck out the side in the first. And he struck out three in the second, but there was some mini-mayhem in between those strikeouts.
Freddie Freeman opened the second with a single, the first of his three hits. Lodolo struck out Teoscar Hernandez and Andy Pages.
He was one out away from keeping it 0-0 and light-hitting Tommy Edman stepped in. He lobbed a ball toward the right field corner, barely disturbing the 216 stitches on the baseball.
But it nestled into the first row of seats just inside the foul pole, a 343-foot excuse-me home run.
“I thought he fouled it off,” Lodolo told reporters. “And I think he did, too. I don’t think he even knew he hit the ball fair. When I saw it coming down I thought it would start fading. But he just blocked it and kept it fair.”
Meanwhile, the Reds put four runners on in the first three innings and didn’t score, mainly because they hit into two double plays.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
The Reds took a 3-2 lead in the fourth when Austin Hays drew a one-out walk from Glasnow. Jake Fraley, planted higher in the batting order than usual at the fifth spot, loosened all 216 stitches on the ball with a 405-foot home run halfway up the moon deck in right.
Noelvi Marte performed a Memorex, following Frayey’s home run with one of his own and the Reds led, 3-2.
The Reds most likely could have put the game in storage in the fifth when they loaded the bases with no outs and scored just one run.
That run came when De La Cruz grounded into a fielder’s choice. Hays then beat an infield hit to re-fill the bases with one out but Marte flied to shallow right and Spencer Steer struck out.
“Yeah, we did leave a lot out there, we did,” said Francona. “I wish we could have spread it out.”
It was still 4-2 when Graham Ashcraft entered the seventh and struck out Miguel Rojas. But Conforto, who walked and scored the winning run in the ninth, walked in the seventh, also on a full count.
Mookie Betts singled, but Ashcraft struck out Ohtani, the fourth time he struck out, and there were two outs. But Will Smith singled to make it 4-3.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Next was Freeman, 4 for 9 for his career against Ashcraft. Many of the 36,135 fans were wearing Dodger blue and they chanted, “Freddie, Freddie, Freddie.”
Just when Reds fans booed the Dodger fans into silence, Freeman made it 5 for 10 against Ashcraft with his third single of the night to tie it, 4-4.
“Their lineup makes you work real hard, so your pitch count gets up for every pitcher,” said Francona, who removed Lodolo with one out in the sixth after 94 pitches.
“They pinch-hit with Conforto and we walked him which is never the best thing to do,” he added. “They (Betts) blooped a ball to right. We moved our outfielders back so the second run doesn’t score and the ball falls in front. It just kinda snowballed.”
Then came the fatal ninth and the run off Pagan, who was appearing for the fourth time in five days.
To pour salt in an open wound, when it was 4-4 De La Cruz poked a two-out double. The Dodgers brought in Alexis Diaz, the closer the Reds traded to LA in late May.
He has been up-and-down between the minors and the Dodgers and was making only his third appearance for LA.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Hays grounded out on Diaz’s second pitch to end the inning and then he pitched a 1-2-3 eighth and was credited with the win.
For Reds fans, the best part of the night was watching Lodolo strike out Ohtani three straight times.
“I was going right after him,” said Lodolo. “I threw him some good heaters in good spots and I was able to spin the ball well to him as well.”
But not Lodolo or anybody else could silence Freeman and Will Smith when they needed it most.
NEXT GAME
Who: L.A. Dodgers at Cincinnati
When: 7:10 p.m., Wednesday, July 31
TV: FanDuel Sports
Radio: 1410-AM, 700-AM
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