Reds don’t muster much offense in loss to Dodgers
CINCINNATI — The Reds played arguably their worst game of the season, losing to Los Angeles Dodgers 8-3 before a crowd of 31,016 at Great American Ball Park on Sunday.
The Reds' runs came on back-to-back home runs from Jose Peraza and Derek Dietrich with two outs in the ninth.
Tanner Roark started for the Reds and went five innings, allowing two runs on two hits. Walks ruined his line. Two of the three hitters he walked scored. He struck out seven.
Los Angeles lefthander Hyun-jin Ryu, who came in 5-1 with a 1.72 ERA, went seven innings and allowed five hits, walked one and struck out five.
Roark walked Corey Seager with one out in the second and Alex Verdugo doubled him home.
A free pass started more trouble for Roark in the third. He walked Joc Peterson with one out. Max Muncy followed with a single, sending Pederson to third.
Roark got a doubleplay ball off the bat of Justin Turner, but it went off second baseman Peraza’s glove for an effor.
Pederson scored to make it 2-0, and Roark pitched out of it from there.
The Reds had a couple of mini-threats against Ryu. The best came in the first. Nick Senzel led off with a single and stole second. Joey Votto was called out on a foul tip. He argued the ball did not hit the bat. Eugenio Suarez followed with a walk. Yasiel Puig hit a smash, but it was right at second baseman Kiké Hernandez, who started a double play.
The Reds had a hit in each of the first five innings and advanced a runner to three times, but could not come up the big hit.
Cody Bellinger hit the first pitch from Wandy Peralta out to center for a two-run homer in the seventh, giving the Dodgers a 4-0 lead.
John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer
PHILLIES 7, ROCKIES 5:
Bryce Harper homered for the second straight day, and pinch-hitter J.T. Realmuto also went deep to help host Philadelphia complete a three-game sweep.
RED SOX 4, ASTROS 3:
Michael Chavis homered, Xander Bogaerts hit a tiebreaking double in the seventh inning, and host Boston averted a sweep and snapped Houston's 10-game winning streak.
BLUE JAYS 5, WHITE SOX 2: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit another home run, and Danny Jansen and Billy Mckinney also connected for visiting Toronto. Guerrero has hit all four of his homers in the last six games. The highly touted 20-year-old didn't homer in his first 13 games after making his major-league debut in late April.
CUBS CHANGE MINDS: The Cubs have dropped their protest over the pitching delivery of Washington reliever Sean Doolittle. Chicago manager Joe Maddon came out twice in the ninth inning of a 5-2 loss Saturday night to complain to plate umpire Sam Holbrook about Doolittle. Maddon said he believed the left-handed Doolittle was tapping his right toe on the ground before coming to the plate.
After being told Doolittle's delivery was legal, Maddon announced the Cubs were playing the game under protest.
Cubs reliever Carl Edwards Jr. was informed at the end of spring training that his delivery, which featured a similar toe-tap, was illegal. That ruling miffed Maddon and the Cubs. On Sunday, Maddon said the protest was done to protect Edwards.