Overcoming a rocky slump, southpaw Andrew Abbott fueled Cincinnati’s upset over Los Angeles as Elly De La Cruz’s power bat sparked a resilient offensive surge in Cincinnati.
The Cincinnati Reds faced off with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday night, trying to get back in the win column for just the second time in nine games.
The biggest thing in the way? Starter Andrew Abbott coming into the game during one of the worst stretches of his career. He posted a 6.89 ERA in August, and in his last three starts coming into Wednesday night, he had allowed 15 earned runs in nine innings pitched. Abbott hasn’t gotten into the sixth inning since his August 23 start against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
While he wasn’t dominant against Los Angeles, he was much better, throwing 4.2 innings, allowing three hits and one earned run while striking out five and walking five. Despite a lack of command, he wiggled out of a couple of jams, and reliever Julian Garcia helped save the fifth inning after Abbott walked the first two batters before yielding two flyouts. Garcia got Teoscar Hernandez, a Reds killer, to fly out.
The Reds were in a good spot early after Blake Snell was pulled with groin tightness after just 19 pitches. The offense capitalized on the early bullpen effort, facing reliever Blake Treinin in the second inning.
Tyler Stephenson greeted Treinen with a single, and right fielder Juan Brito hit a ball off the wall but overslid second base, leading to the second out of the inning. Stephenson was eventually stranded.
Los Angeles took a 1-0 lead after a Will Smith double scored Mookie Betts. However, they didn’t hold it long as Elly De La Cruz catapulted Cincinnati out in front with a two-run home run.
The Reds were unlucky in the fourth inning. With runners on 1st and 2nd with one out, JJ Bleday hit a line drive straight to first baseman Freddie Freeman, who turned a double play to end the inning.
Dane Myers added a solo home run later in the game to take a 3-1 lead in the fifth. Julian Garcia loaded the bases and allowed a groundout to Sal Stewart, allowing a run. However, Tejay Antone came in and got a lineout from Betts to end the inning.
Brito continued his hot stretch against left-handers with a bloop single to make it 4-2. Cincinnati added two runs in the seventh inning off hits by Sal Stewart and TJ Friedl. Emilio Pagan shut things down in the ninth inning, sealing the win.
The Reds are now 71-81, still in last place in the NL Central, 3.5 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals.
