Dodgers 9 Reds 3
Luis Cessa, used as the 'opener' Thursday night, allowed three runs on five consecutive hits in a 22 pitch first inning. The Dodgers didn't hit Cessa hard, they did hit it where the Reds weren't. But Revier Sanmartin followed and dazzled with five innings of two hit, no walk, scoreless baseball. He retired 14 of 15, including 10 in a row after allowing a single to the first batter he faced, Cody Bellinger. But when the Reds chipped away with two runs in the 7th and another in the 8th to tie the game, it was up to the bullpen to hold the fort. They did not. The bullpen of Strickland-Wilson-Santillan-Hendrix combined give up six runs in the 8th in a 9-3 loss to the Dodgers Thursday night. After winning their season opener, the Reds have dropped 4 of 5 to stand 2-5 on the season.
Comeback: Trailing 3-0 in the 6th, the Reds rallied vs Walker Buehler and David Price. Aristides Aquino, who had struck out in each of his first two AB's and seven consecutive times, hit a 2-run homer off Buehler in the 6th. Brandon Drury, who had come off the bench to replace an injured Jonathan India (right hamstring), hit a 401 foot game-tying two-run homer in the 7th off the LH Price.
Downfall: 3-3 in the 8th, LA sent 11 batters to the plate and unloaded for six runs to put the game away. Tony Santillan replaced Hunter Strickland after a leadoff double by Freddie Freeman in the 7th. He allowed a 1B, BB, WP that scored the go-ahead run, and a 3-run homer to Will Smith to make it 7-3. Ryan Hendrix followed by allowing a 1B, 1B, SB, 2 WP, BB and 1B to make it 9-3.
Bullpen:
Strickland: 0.1, H, BB
Wilson: 0.2, H, R
Santillan: 0.1, 2 H, 3 R, HR, WP
Hendrix: 0.2, 3 H, 2 R, 2 WP
The true bullpen arms: 3 IN, 12 H, 9 R, 3 BB, 3 WP
The Reds have allowed 10-7-9 runs over their last three games, outscored 26-11.