Reds win fifth straight, Bailey wins first

By HAL McCOY

Homer Bailey won’t keep the videotape of Saturday night’s performance in Dodger Stadium as a reminder of how to pitch.

It wasn’t one of his best. But he’ll take it because he finally won a game after a 0-and-5 start this season.

He gave up 10 hits in five innings, two in each of the five innings, but he can thank Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts and teammate Scott Schebler for his victory.

The Reds won, 5-3, their fifth straight victory and third straight over the heavily struggling Los Angeles Dodgers.

Despite the 10 hits, Bailey only trailed by 3-1 after five innings. And that was because LA starter Ross Stripling was mowing down the Reds as if he had a scythe in his right hand — one run, five hits, no walks and seven strikeouts.

And he struck out Joey Votto to open the sixth. But when Stripling gave up a bloop single to left field by Scooter Gennett, Roberts came to get him.

Stripling was only making his third start and was a plug-in out of the bullpen and into the rotation after injuries depleted the rotation, including Clayton Kershaw.

Roberts, perhaps, thought Stripling had gone far enough, even though he had thrown only 79 pitches.

Roberts brought in J.T. Chargois and disaster struck quickly. Eugenio Suarez singled off the pitcher’s body to put two on with one out.

Scott Schebler then launched an opposite field home run into the left field pavilion, a three-run home run to put the Reds ahead, 4-3.

It was particularly sweet for Schebler because the Dodgers traded him to the Reds. And Schebler was hitless in his last four games with four strikeouts.

After Schebler’s home run, Tucker Barnhart doubled and pinch-hitter Alex Blandino doubled to make it 5-3.

Chargois faced five hitters and four collected base hits. The Reds then got to face baseball’s only ambidextrous pitcher, Pat Venditte. He pitches with both hands, right handed against right handed hitters and left handed against left handed hitters.

—Bailey gave  up two one-out singles in the first, struck out Cody Bellinger, walked Chris Taylor on a full count to load the bases, but retired Max Muncy. No runs, two left.

—Bailey gave up back-to-back singles to open the second, then retired the next three. No runs, three left.

—Bailey gave up a home run to Cody Bellinger with one out in the third and an infield hit. One run, one left.

—Bailey up a run and two hits in the fourth, but retired the final two of the inning. One run, one left.

—Bailey gave up back-to-back one-out doubles in the fifth for a run. The Dodgers had two on with two out but struck out Stripling. One run, two left.

Strangely, Roberts permitted pitcher Stripling to bat with two on and two outs in the fifth, then permitted him to face only two batters in the top of the sixth and took him out.

And Bailey, his competitive juices flowing, was angry when manager Jim Riggleman took him out after five innings. But Alex Blandino, batting for Bailey, doubled home the fifth run.

The Reds banged 13 hits with every position starter contributing at least one. Scooter Gennett had three more hits and has 10 hits in the first three games of the series. He did not hit a home run after homering in four straight.

Joey Votto had two hits and Adm Duvall, batting eighth, had two singles.

After Bailey left, the suddenly shut-down Reds bullpen shut down the Dodgers the rest of the way.

David Hernandez followed Bailey with 2 1/3 scoreless innings during which he gave up one hit and struck out three.

Wandy Peralta entered the game in the eighth and gave up a walk and a one-out single. Riggleman brought in Jared Hughes, a gutsy move because Roberts sent up Yasiel Puig to pinch-hit.

Puig was 4 for 4 with two home runs for his career against Hughes. So what happened. On the first pitch, Puig drilled a bullet toward left field. Third baseman Eugenio Suarez snagged it and snapped a throw to second base for an inning-ending double play.

With closer Raisel Iglesias in need of rest, Hughes pitched the ninth and grabbed the save with a 1-2-3 inning.

How frustrated are the Dodgers? With one out in the ninth, Hughes was 3-and-0 on Bellinger and in a bizarre move he tried to bunt the 3-and-0 pitch for a hit and Hughes threw him out.

The Reds go for their sixth straight victory Sunday afternoon and a sweep of the four-game series with Luis Castillo on the mound.

2 thoughts on “Reds win fifth straight, Bailey wins first”

  1. Nice having a pleasant run out in LA for a change! It’s great to get the West Coast swing over with early this year.

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