Steer and Benson homer and the Reds get another solid start from Greene in a 3-1 win over Dodgers
CINCINNATI (AP) — Spencer Steer and Will Benson homered, Hunter Greene pitched six innings of one-run ball and the Cincinnati Reds dealt the Los Angeles Dodgers a season-high fourth straight loss, securing the weekend series with a 3-1 victory Saturday night.
After outlasting the Dodgers 9-6 on Friday, the Reds got some big hits and shutdown relief pitching to clinch a season series for the first time in over a month.
Greene (3-2) allowed five hits and struck out five in six innings. The Reds got scoreless innings of relief from Fernando Cruz, Sam Moll and closer Alexis Diaz, who retired the Dodgers in order in the ninth for his ninth save.
After Steer’s solo homer in the first, Greene got into a jam in the second. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases for the Dodgers with no outs, but they came away with just one run as Greene got Jason Heyward to hit into a double-play and Kiké Hernández grounded out.
With two outs in the second, Benson crushed a fastball from Buehler 411 feet into the upper deck in left field for a 2-1 Cincinnati lead. Elly De La Cruz drove in another run with a single in the sixth.
The Dodgers threatened again in the sixth when Shohei Ohtani cracked a one-out triple into the right-field corner, but he was stranded there. Ohtani struck out in his other three plate appearances.
Los Angeles got a second straight decent outing from Walker Buehler (1-2), who allowed three runs and six hits in 5 2/3 innings.
The Reds won back-to-back games for the first time since April 23-24.
UP NEXT
The Dodgers send right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto (5-1, 3.17 ERA) to the mound against the Reds, who hadn't announced their starter for the series finale Sunday. Game time was changed to 12:10 p.m. EDT from 1:40 p.m. because severe weather is predicted.
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