Reds sweep Dodgers; Votto, Suarez homer in 5-3 win
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Eugenio Suarez and Joey Votto homered, and the lastplace Cincinnati Reds beat Los Angeles 5-3 Sunday for their first four-game sweep of the Dodgers since the Big Red Machine accomplished the feat in August 1976.
Luis Castillo (3-4) allowed three runs — two earned — and four hits in six innings with eight strikeouts and no walks. Making his first appearance against Los Angeles, Castillo faced 20 batters, just two over the minimum.
The defending NL champion Dodgers finished a 1-5 homestand and have lost seven of eight. At 16-23 they are fourth in the NL West, just one game ahead of San Diego.
Cincinnati has won six straight games following an 8-27 start yet remains last in the NL Central.
Three relievers finished the four-hitter. Raisel Iglesias got three straight outs for his seventh save in eight chances.
Rich Hill (1-2) gave up three runs — two earned — six hits and four walks over 5 2/3 innings and 98 pitches. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and a trainer went to the mound with two outs in the sixth and looked at the left middle finger of Hill, who had a blister on the finger that caused him to go on the disabled list from April 7-16 and from April 17 to May 16.
Suarez hit a two-run homer in the third, and Yasiel Puig cut the lead in half in the bottom half with his first home run since Game 5 of last year's World Series.
Alex Blandino's sacrifice bunt drove in a run in the fourth, and Votto hit a two-run homer for a 5-1 lead in the sixth.
Yasmani Grandal hit a solo homer in the seventh and Cody Bellinger followed with a single that chased Castillo
Bellinger started, a day after ignoring a take sign and attempting a bunt with a 3-0 count in the ninth inning of a 5-3 defeat. Bellinger was benched a couple of weeks ago for not hustling.
"To his credit, he came in last night and took accountability for it," Roberts said. "So for me, as a young player, that's the biggest win. To not make an excuse and own it and move on."
PHILLIES 4, METS 2.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jacob deGrom felt great in his return from the disabled list. He didn't allow a run or even a hit.
Trouble was, deGrom, lasted only one inning,
DeGrom needed 45 pitches to get three outs, and pinch-hitter Nick Williams had a go-ahead, three-run homer off Paul Seward in the sixth inning that carried the Philadelphia Phillies over the Mets 4-2 Sunday.
"I don't think I've ever seen somebody throw 40-something pitches and not give up a run," Mets manager Mickey Callaway said.
After missing a start because of a hyperextended right elbow, DeGrom said he had control of only his fastball and slider as he walked his first three batters. New York removed him as a precaution because of the length of the inning and the 59-minute rain delay that preceded it.
"He felt fine. We just didn't feel good sending him back out," Callaway said. "We can't do that to anybody. That's a lot of pitches for one inning."
Philadelphia fouled off 20 pitches in the first. That led to a strange scenario of deGrom being pinch hit for in the second inning of a scoreless game.
"I was kind of surprised, honestly," deGrom said. "I definitely would have liked to have gone back out there. The reasoning, I understand. But who wants to pitch one inning as a starter?"
Cesar Hernandez, Aaron Altherr and Odubel Hernandez each walked on six pitches. DeGrom struck out Rhys Hoskins, got Carlos Santana to ground back to the mound and fanned Maikel Franco to end a 10-pitch at-bat. That extended deGrom's scoreless streak to 19 1/3 innings, the longest active streak in the majors.
The pitches were deGrom's most in a big league inning, topping his 37 at a rookie in the first inning at Atlanta on July 2, 2014.
"I'd like to think I would have been able to figure it out," deGrom said. "But who knows?"