By HAL McCOY
If the Cincinnati Reds never again see Hollywood, Century City, Pasadena, the Walk of Fame, the La Brea tar pits and, especially, Chavez Ravine, it will be too soon.
It appeared they had finally shaken the Dodger Stadium anvil on their backs Sunday afternoon when they entered the eighth inning with a four-run lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Alas, no. The Dodgers scored six runs in the bottom of the eighth that included three straight walks by Reds closer Raisel Iglesias and a grand slam home run by Corey Seager.
AND SO IT BECAME A 9-7 Dodgers victory, their ninth straight in Dodger Stadium over the Reds and their 16th win in their last 17 overall against the Reds.
Austin Brice went to the mound in the eighth, asked to protect a 7-3 lead that was built via four Reds home runs — Adam Duvall, Scott Schebler, Joey Votto and Devin Mesoraco.
The Dodgers, too, hit four home runs, but Seager’s was the only grand slam.
Brice retired the first batter in the eighth, then gave up a home run to Cody Bellinger, his second of the day and third in the last two games.
When Yasmani Grandal singled, Reds manager Bryan Price decided it was time to bring in his closer, Iglesias.
TO SAY IT WASN’T HIS day is to say the skies over Dodger Stadium usually are blue.
Iglesias walked Yasiel Puig on four pitches to load the bases.
Then came a classic battle between Iglesias and Kike Hernandez. The battle lasted 13 pitches and at one point Hernandez fouled off seven straight pitches. He eventually fouled eight pitches before Iglesias walked him to force in a run and make it 7-4. Then he walked Utley on a full count, his third straight walk, forcing in another run to make it 7-5 with the bases still loaded.
Seager didn’t wait for a walk. Just as he did Saturday in the ninth inning for a 5-4 Dodgers win, Seager picked on the first pitch and drilled it over the wall.
All that was left was for Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen and he did what he usually does, a 1-2-3 ninth for his 200th career save.
The Reds attacked LA starter Hyun-Jin Ryu in the second inning for three runs, including a solo home run by Duvall and a two-run blast by Schebler, who took the National League with his 18th home run.
That only lasted until teammate Joey Votto homered in the third, tying Schebler for the league lead at 18.
THE DODGERS HAD LOST SEVEN of Ryu’s nine starts this year and it looked as if it would be eight of 10 when the Reds built their 7-3 lead. That 7-3 lead came on Devin Mesoraco’s two-run home run in the sixth, his second home run in two games. Mesoraco’s three-run homer Saturday tied the game, 4-4, only to have Seager’s game-winning single in the ninth.
Reds starter Tim Adleman looked as if he was goig to go 3-and-0 over his last four starts when he held the Dodgers to three runs and five hits over five innings and left with a 4-3 lead that was expande to 7-3.
He gave up two runs in the second on Bellinger’s first home run, a two-run shot, and a solo home run to Chase Utley in the fifth.
Billy Hamilton broke a 0 for 17 slide for life with a bloop single in the sixth. But Zack Cozart’s streak of getting on base in 32 straight games ended with a 0 for 5. Cozart was 0 for 10 in the three-game series, but extended his on-base streak Friday with a walk and Saturday with a hit b pitch.
The Reds hopped a bus and fled LA, motoring south to San Diego for a three-game series. Then they return home for next weekend’s series against the Dodgers.
Has Austin Brice done anything useful? Time to release…