The Los Angeles Dodgers looked to get out of their skid when they hosted the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday night having already lost the first two games of the four-game series.
Unfortunately, they weren’t able to get back in the win column as they fell to the Reds, 5-3, at Dodger Stadium to drop to 16-23 on the season.
The Dodgers got on the scoreboard first in the bottom of the third inning when Cody Bellinger launched a solo home run to right field. The hit had to have felt good for Bellinger, who was one for his last 13 with the only hit being a routine fly ball to right that the Reds right fielder lost in the lights on Friday night. The home run was Bellinger’s fifth of the season.
They then added to that lead in the fourth on a rare hit with a runner in scoring position with two outs as Joc Pederson drove in Austin Barnes with a single to right.
Ross Stripling got the start on the mound for the Dodgers and looked sharp early, facing just one over the minimum in his first three innings.
Stripling gave up his first run of the night in the fifth inning when Jesse Winker drove in Adam Duvall with a two-out single. The Dodgers got that run back quickly in the bottom half of the inning though on back-to-back doubles by Chris Taylor and Max Muncy.
For the first time in nearly two years, Stripling pitched into the sixth inning, striking out Joey Votto looking to begin the inning. He then gave up a single to Scooter Gennett, and J.T. Chargois came on to relieve him.
It did not take long for Chargois to give up the lead, giving up a single and then a three-run home run to Scott Schebler to put Cincinnati ahead. They then added to that lead with back-to-back doubles off Chargois before switch-pitcher Pat Venditte put out the first in his season debut. A four-run sixth put the Reds out in front, 5-3, though.
Venditte then tossed a scoreless seventh with some help from Kiké Hernandez on defense to complete a solid season debut of 1.1 scoreless innings.
The Dodgers had an opportunity to score in the eighth inning with two runners on, but Yasiel Puig smoked a ball right at the third baseman that wound up being an inning-ending double play. They then went down quickly in the ninth to complete the loss.
