Dodgers squander lead as Reds win with 9th-inning rally
By KEITH JENKINS The Associated Press
CINCINNATI — Caleb Ferguson had a rough night and it cost the Dodgers as they started their six-game road trip with a come-from-ahead loss.
Matt McLain’s single to deep center field highlighted a three-run comeback in the ninth inning as the Cincinnati Reds rallied to beat the Dodgers, 9-8, on Tuesday night.
Trailing 8-6 with one out in the bottom of the ninth, Cincinnati loaded the bases against Ferguson. The left-hander walked Curt Casali, scoring Spencer Steel and cutting the deficit to one run. Jake Fraley was hit by a pitch, scoring T.J. Hopkins and tying the score at 8-all.
After three walks and the hit batter while recording just one out, Ferguson (3-1) was pulled for Shelby Miller. McLain then singled over the head of Jason Heyward in center field to score Stuart Fairchild and snap Cincinnati’s nine-game losing streak against the Dodgers.
“This was a tough one. And with this group of arms that we have in the ’pen this shouldn’t happen,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who deployed Evan Phillips in a high-leverage spot in the eighth inning. “They gotta be better. The walks. Evan (Phillips) was solid and facing their best hitters (Nos. 2-4), giving us a chance to take another at-bat.
“Fergy was all over the place. The walks. The hit batsman. It sped up on him. … I can trust guys but it’s gotta work both ways. The talent’s there. They’ve gotta do their part too. … Tonight, we shouldn’t have lost this game. That honor to finish games comes with responsibility and performance. He let the umpire affect him, clearly. We’re counting on him to be a leverage guy. I felt, that part of the order, he should be able to handle that.”
McLain, who starred at Irvine’s Beckman High, finished with three singles for the Reds (28-33), who hadn’t beaten the Dodgers (35-26) since Sept. 17, 2021. Eduardo Salazar (1-0) earned the win, striking out two in an inning of relief.
“We kept playing through all nine innings,” McLain said. “The fans were in it, all nine. Obviously, Elly was making his debut. It was cool.”
Reds newcomer Elly De La Cruz, who made his major league debut in the game, said he predicted McLain’s late-game heroics.
“I told him, ‘I told you,’” De La Cruz said he told McLain as they embraced after the game. “I told him before he hit the walk-off, I said, ‘Hey, you’re going to hit a walk-off.’ I said, ‘I told you, man.’”
The 21-year-old De La Cruz, ranked as the game’s third-best prospect according to Baseball America, batted cleanup and finished with a hit, two walks and a run scored in three at-bats.
Mookie Betts led off the game with a ground ball right at De La Cruz down the third-base line. Betts stood at first with a base hit after De La Cruz was unable to snag it.
Betts scored two batters later on a double by Max Muncy. Betts jump-started a three-run first for the Dodgers, who were looking to rebound after dropping two games of a three-game set at home against the New York Yankees over the weekend.
Cincinnati countered with three runs in the bottom half of the first. Fraley and McLain had back-to-back singles and Jonathan India hit a fly ball to Betts in right. The out set up runners on the corners for De La Cruz.
Dodgers starter Tony Gonsolin tossed a curveball low and inside to De La Cruz, who nearly came out of his shoes for strike one. The 6-foot-5 slugger then settled in and drew a six-pitch walk to load the bases for Steer. Gonsolin plunked Steer to bring home Cincinnati’s first run, and then Tyler Stephenson brought home both McLain and De La Cruz on a line drive single to center field.
“We score three runs in the first inning, and to go back and give away three runs in the bottom half, not good,” Roberts said. “Tony threw so many pitches that first inning that he could only go five innings. We were fortunate to get him through five innings, and what that does is it exposes you in the bullpen.”
The score remained tied at 3-3 in the third when De La Cruz hit a stand-up double, but he was stranded.
The Dodgers took a 4-3 lead in the fourth when J.D. Martinez hit a solo homer, his 15th of the season.
Reds starter Luke Weaver was pulled in favor of reliever Alex Young after allowing the four runs on six hits and walking Betts to load the bases. Freddie Freeman then tagged Young his second grand slam of the season and the fifth of his career.
The Reds chipped away from there.
“We beat ourselves tonight, plain and simple,” Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy said. “Kind of felt like we pulled our foot off the gas a little bit.”
Despite the loss, the Dodgers are still 16-5 in their last 21 games against Cincinnati.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Dodgers: Left-hander Julio Urías (hamstring) threw two innings of live batting practice and two more innings in the bullpen. Manager Dave Roberts said he expects Urías to start Sunday in Philadelphia. Urías has not pitched since being placed on the 10-day injured list on May 21.
Reds: Left fielder Nick Senzel (right knee soreness) was placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to Sunday. Manager David Bell said he thinks it will only be a “quick stint.”
“We think 10 days will calm it down and get him through the rest of the year,” he said.
UP NEXT
Dodgers (RHP Noah Syndergaard, 1-4, 6.54 ERA) at Reds (LHP Brandon Williamson, 0-0, 4.29 ERA), Wednesday, 4:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, 570 AM
“This was a tough one. And with this group of arms that we have in the pen this shouldn’t happen.” Dave Roberts breaks down how the game got away tonight. pic.twitter.com/jlNZNdpaiY
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) June 7, 2023
Freddie Freeman expresses his frustrations and how the team must power through today’s loss. pic.twitter.com/ekztObmvpI
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) June 7, 2023
“We beat ourselves tonight.” Max Muncy's response to outside factors affecting the game. pic.twitter.com/wq40IljTGX
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) June 7, 2023
GRAND SLAM FREDDIE! pic.twitter.com/Qy0lOoz8oN
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) June 7, 2023
J.D.'s solo HR puts the #Dodgers up 1 in the 4th. pic.twitter.com/wUQ19waArg
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) June 7, 2023