Jeimer Candeleraio Assaults Guardians To Even Ohio Cup Nick Lodolo Improves To 7-2

  

Jeimer Candelario hit two home runs and drove in four to make a winner of Nick Lodolo in the Reds' 4-2 win over the Cleveland Guardians.

Candelario hit his 10th home run of the season with two outs in the first inning. His victim Cleveland pitcher Tanner Bibee had allowed just eight in 274 batters faced. 

"I'm still not there. Tonight was a great night. I'll take it," Candelario said. "I'm here to help the team. Everything starts in the mind and goes to your body. You have to have a routine. If you have a routine, it gives you confidence. As a switch hitter it takes a lot of work and dedication."

It was Candelario's fifth career multi-home run game. The last one was on July 25, 2022 for Detroit against San Diego. The four RBI tied a career-high. 

Reds' starter, Nick Lodolo, lost control in the third inning. Steven Kwan extended his hitting streak to eight games with a single to right. Jose Ramirez swung at a 3-0 pitch and hit a ground single to left. Lodolo hit Josh Naylor to load the bases. He walked David Fry to force home the tying run.

Jacob Hurtubise saved a run in the fourth. Brayan Rocchio doubled with one out. Austin Hedges was hit in the foot. Kwan hit his second single to left. Hurtubise got to it and fired a one-hop throw to Tyler Stephenson in plenty of time to get Rocchio at the plate.

Ramirez and Josh Naylor singled to open the fifth, putting runners at first and third with no outs. Fry lined out to third. Andres Gimenez hit a ground ball to Jonathan India at second but Naylor was running and avoided the double play as Ramirez scored.

Will Benson and TJ Friedl opened the sixth inning with singles against Bibee. Elly De La Cruz struck out for the third time, on his bobblehead night. It gave Bibee a career-high 11 in just 5 1/3 innings but Candelario deposited the eighth pitch of his at bat into the Cleveland bullpen in right field.

"That's as good as he's thrown the ball, 11 punchouts," Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said of Bibee. "It was basically one hard hit ball all night. I thought he was great. Honestly he (Candelario) was locked in all night. He had great at bats against Tanner. I thought the change up was a really good pitch. He put a good swing on it."

Lodolo pitched six innings for his third straight quality start, pitching out jams all night. He stranded eight runners. Lodolo allowed a run on seven hits and three walks. He hit two batters and struck out six.

"It was a grind for sure. I had to keep my head down," Lodolo said. "I was definitely fighting myself a little bit. I had to stay on the attack and make pitches when I needed to."

Lucas Sims and Sam Moll pitched scoreless innings.

Alexis Diaz earned his 14th save in 16 tries with a perfect ninth.