Reds Losing Skid Reaches Five In Loss To Dodgers

 

Freddie Freeman hit a two-run double and a three-run triple. University of Louisville grad Will Smith hit a solo home run  and a sacrifice fly.lifting the Los Angles Dodgers to a 8-2 win over the slumping Cincinnati Reds.  It is their fifth straight loss and dropped them a season-low 21 games under .500.

Freeman had three hits and drove in five runs with a single, double and triple.

"Freeman is a tough out," Mahle said.  "He has a quick bat.  I feel like there is nothing I can throw him that will get him off balance.  He is never off balance at least against me."

Tyler Mahle , the Reds' ace, gutted through six shaky innings.  Mahle allowed 12 hits and a walk but only allowed four runs.  Reiver Sanmartin took over in the seventh.

"We're used to seeing Tyler do some special things," David Bell said.  "In some ways starts like tonight are even more impressive.  He kept us in the game like that against a good lineup.  He allowed some hits, taking nothing away from the Dodgers, that were well placed ground balls.  Tyler gave us all he had down to the last hitter."

Mahle has been going deep in games for the last month.  He gave up a lot of hits but the Reds were within two runs until the Dodgers added four runs in the eighth against the Reds' bullpen.

"I had to battle through six," Mahle said.  "It was kind of just that way todya. It wasn't easy but it could have been one of those outings that I come out early."

Sanmartin pitched a scoreless seventh but two reached on singles, including Trea Turner's infield single in front of Freeman's triple off Luis Cessa.

Tony Gonsolin gave up just three hits in five innings as the Dodgers' starter but two of them were solo home runs to Jonathan India, his first to lead off the Reds' first, the sixth time he's accomplished that as a leadoff hitter.  Albert Almora Jr. put the Reds ahead briefly with his fourth home runs in the second inning.

"Gonsolin settler in<' Bell said.  "We had the two home runs but couldn't get anyone on base."

Gonsolin made his 13th start.  His win over the Reds is his ninth in nine decisions, a perfect 9-0.  He retired the last nine Reds' batters he faced and 10 of the last 11 with only a walk to India to break the string.

The Dpdgers won 10 of his 13 starts and he has allowed less than three runs in any start this season.

Dodgers' leadoff hitter, Trea Turner had four hits to extend his hitting streak to 13 games.  Chris Taylor had three hits as did Freeman.

Joey Votto hit a single and a double to give him 1,000 hits at Great American Ball Park.

The Dodgers swept a four-game series from the Reds in Los Angeles in April.  The Dodgers have now defeated the Reds seven straight times.