The Sports Xchange
Jun 16, 2017
CINCINNATI -- Joc Pederson homered and Alex Wood allowed a run and four hits in eight innings, lifting the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 3-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds in the opener of a three-game series Friday night at Great American Ball Park.
Wood (7-0) struck out five and did not walk a batter in his 10th start. He also contributed a two-out single in the eighth inning to drive in a run. It was his second hit and third RBI of the season.
He's the first Dodgers pitcher to begin a season with 10 or more consecutive starts without a loss since Orel Hershiser went 11 starts to begin the 1985 campaign.
In addition to his third homer, Pederson also doubled and walked for the Dodgers (42-26), who have won seven of eight while improving to 4-0 this season against the Reds.
Devin Mesoraco ended Wood's shutout bid with his sixth home run with two outs in the eighth.
Los Angeles closer Kenley Jansen allowed a ground-rule double to Billy Hamilton to begin the ninth before striking out three straight batters to improve to 14-for-14 in save opportunities
The Reds (29-37) who were swept last weekend at Dodger Stadium, have lost a season-high seven straight games.
Cincinnati starter Tim Adleman (4-3) managed to stick around for six innings despite four walks and being under almost constant pressure from the Dodgers' offense. He allowed two runs and five hits but needed 108 pitches to get through six.
Pederson, who was 2-for-11 on the road trip and batting .198 coming into the game, belted a solo home run in his first at-bat to put Los Angeles ahead 1-0 in the second inning. Pederson doubled in his next at-bat with one out in the fourth.
The teams combined for three outs on the bases early.
The Reds had a runner retired in a rundown between first and second and another thrown out at home to waste a leadoff double by Eugenio Suarez in the second. In the top of the third, Chris Taylor's RBI double put the Dodgers up 2-0, but Cody Bellinger was thrown out trying to score from first on the play.
The Dodgers needed innings out of Wood and he was able to limit his pitches to 51 through five innings while allowing three hits.
Wood also snared a hard grounder from Mesoraco to start an inning-ending 1-4-3 double play in the fifth.
NOTES: The Dodgers recalled RHP Josh Ravin from Triple-A Oklahoma City and optioned RHP Ross Stripling to Triple-A. ... Reds RHP Homer Bailey threw a bullpen session on Friday and is scheduled to make his next rehab start Monday for Triple-A Louisville. ... Prior to Friday's game, Reds 1B Joey Votto Joey was presented with a certificate "in recognition of his contribution to friendly relations between Canada and the United States" from the Honourable Francois-Philippe Champagne, Canada's Minister of International Trade.