The Cincinnati Reds improved to 58-49 on their way to winning their three-game series against the Dodgers in L.A. After taking the series-opener and the finale, the Reds moved into first place in the NL Central. The Milwaukee Brewers were swept by the NL-best Atlanta Braves over the weekend to help matters in Cincinnati as well.
If not for two Max Muncy home runs, this could have easily been a series sweep in Cincinnati’s favor. Instead, the Reds will have to settle for a season-long record of 4-2 against the Dodgers.
After a tough series loss to the Milwaukee Brewers, the Reds needed a fast start against a loaded Dodgers lineup. That is exactly what they got as they put up three runs in the first inning.
Elly de la Cruz tripled to begin the game and was driven in by a TJ Friedl groundout in the following at-bat. Matt McLain drove a one-out double to right field and scored one batter later on a Jake Fraley two-run home run.
Brandon Williamson had yet another solid outing, giving up just two runs in 5 2/3 innings. Williamson has not given up more than three runs in a start since June 7 against these Dodgers.
Lucas Sims was shaky and gave up three runs while recording only one out. However, the rest of the bullpen was sharp and shutout the Dodgers in the remaining three innings. Alexis Diaz got his 31st save of the season and the Reds won the opener, 6-5.
Luke Weaver gave the Reds an uncharacteristic start in the second game of the series. It was uncharacteristic because he gave up one or fewer earned runs for just the third time all season.
In fact, Weaver, Fernando Cruz and Buck Farmer combined to throw eight innings and allowed just two hits to the vaunted Dodgers lineup. However, the two hits were big ones.
Max Muncy collected the only two Dodger hits and put them both over the outfield fence, driving in all three L.A. runs.
The Reds offense blew a bases-loaded two-out opportunity in the sixth inning that ended up being their last real shot to score a run. Cincinnati dropped a frustrating game, 3-2.
In the only day game of the series, the Reds got off to another hot start in the finale. The first four Reds batters all reached base safely and Cincinnati jumped out to a 3-0 lead on Dodgers’ rookie Michael Grove.
Things did not get much easier for Grove as he gave up a long solo home run to Elly de la Cruz in the top of the second inning to make it 4-0. Then in the third inning, the Reds hit two more home runs from Matt McLain and Joey Votto to make it a 7-0 ballgame.
Graham Ashcraft was magnificent once again in this one. Ashcraft made this his sixth consecutive start of at least 5 1/3 innings and less than two runs allowed. His emergence as a front-end of the rotation starter in the absence of Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo has been a tremendous boost.
Derek Law threw two perfect innings in relief and Daniel Duarte closed out the series in the emphatic, 9-0 victory.
Cincinnati will close out their 10-game road trip with a four-game series at Wrigley Field against the surging Chicago Cubs. The Cubs have won 10 of their last 12 games and are now above .500. Chicago sits in third place in the NL Central, just four games behind the first-place Reds.
While the Cubs are very hot, the teams they have been beating up on during this winning streak are not exactly world beaters. The Cubs have played the Nationals, Cardinals, White Sox and Cardinals again during that span, winning each series. The Reds will be the best team Chicago has seen since perhaps the Boston Red Sox over two weeks ago.
Cincinnati will send Andrew Abbott, Ben Lively, Brandon Williamson and Luke Weaver, respectively, to start each game in the series. The Reds have an opportunity to take a stranglehold of the division at the expense of a surging rival.
Stay tuned for more breaking MLB content, including trade deadline information, power rankings and more news from every team.
Featured image courtesy of Reds.com
You can “Like” The Game Haus on Facebook and “Follow” us on Twitter for more sports and esports articles from other great TGH writers
“From Our Haus to Yours“
Players must be 21 years of age or older or reach the minimum age for gambling in their respective state and located in jurisdictions where online gambling is legal. Please play responsibly. Bet with your head, not over it. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, and wants help, call or visit: (a) the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey at 1-800-Gambler or www.800gambler.org; or (b) Gamblers Anonymous at 855-2-CALL-GA or www.gamblersanonymous.org.
