The suddenly resurgent Cincinnati Reds extended their season-best winning streak to four games by defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers, 6-2. It guaranteed the Reds at least a split of the series at Dodger Stadium.
The story was much of the same for the Dodgers. They managed just five hits, were 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left three on base. Their lackluster performance made the Reds’ decision to trade for Matt Harvey, who entered 0-2 with a 7.00 ERA in eight games (four starts).
If not for Cody Bellinger’s routine fly ball to right field that got lost in the lights and dropped for a triple, Harvey would’ve put forth a perfect outing.
Instead, he settled for four shutout innings with just the one hit allowed and two strikeouts. It was the first time Harvey didn’t allow a run in a start since his 2018 debut against the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Dodgers capitalized on the pitching change in the bottom of the fifth, as Chris Taylor lifted a right field, and Max Muncy followed with an RBI double. Muncy added a solo home run in the seventh inning.
His efforts in both innings was largely futile, as the Reds jumped out to a lead on Kenta Maeda and never looked back. To Maeda’s credit, he allowed just one run in opening frame and worked out of a bases-loaded jam, but needed 34 pitches to do so.
Cincinnati extended their lead in the third inning behind RBI singles by Scooter Gennett and Tucker Barnhart. Then in the fifth, Gennett, who hit a home run in Thursday’s game, took Adam Liberatore deep for at two-run shot that put the Dodgers in a 5-0 deficit.
A walk and hit by pitch put would’ve meant Taylor represented the tying run at the plate had Brock Stewart not allowed a run in the top of the ninth. Taylor was called out on strikes and Adam Duvall made a sliding catch to rob Muncy of a hit and end the game.
