Gonzalez launches three homers as Dodgers rout Reds
CINCINNATI -- Adrian Gonzalez belted three home runs and recorded a career-high eight RBIs to lift the Los Angeles Dodgers to an 18-9 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Monday afternoon at Great American Ball Park.
Andrew Toles and Rob Segedin became the first players in Dodgers' history to notch their first career homers in consecutive at-bats.
Corey Seager and Yasmani Grandal also went deep for Los Angeles, which launched seven homers for the first time since Sept. 18, 2006 versus San Diego. The 21 hits were a season high and the 18 runs were the most for the Dodgers since Sept. 28, 2006 at Colorado.
Monday's win earned the Dodgers a split in the four-game series and provides them some momentum heading home for a National League West showdown with the rival San Francisco Giants.
Reds shortstop Jose Peraza had a career-high four hits including two doubles on Monday, improving to 9-for-15 since being recalled from Triple-A on Saturday.
Reds first baseman Joey Votto fell a home run shy of the cycle.
Neither starting pitcher made it past the third inning.
Reds right-hander Homer Bailey had pitched well in his four starts since returning from Tommy John surgery. But, things unraveled for him in the first inning on Monday.
It took just four pitches from Bailey for the Dodgers to build a 3-0 lead.
Following consecutive singles by Chase Utley and Seager, Gonzalez launched the first pitch he saw from Bailey into the right-field stands. The homer extended Gonzalez's hitting streak to 15 games.
Later in the inning, Toles' sacrifice fly gave LA a 4-0 lead.
Bailey (2-2) threw 32 pitches in the first but escaped further damage when shortstop Jose Peraza made a diving catch of Segedin's line drive.
The Dodgers scored twice more in the third on Toles' RBI single and a sacrifice fly by Segedin to make the score 6-1 and end Bailey's day.
Bailey allowed a season-high nine hits and six runs in 2 1/3 innings.
Cincinnati, meanwhile, kept pecking away at Scott Kazmir.
Run-scoring singles by Votto, Scott Schebler, and Tucker Barnhart cut the Reds' deficit to 6-4 in the third. Votto's 300th career double drove in a fifth run in the fourth.
Kazmir was lifted with two outs in the third after allowing four earned runs on six hits and three walks.
Toles and Segedin went back-to-back on consecutive pitches during a six-run fifth to make the score 12-6.
Gonzalez went deep again in the seventh, a three-run shot off Blake Wood, who allowed two home runs in two-thirds of an inning.
Jesse Chavez (1-0) was awarded the victory for Los Angeles.
NOTES: The seven home runs by the Reds tied a club record. ... OF Tyler Holt became the first Reds position player to pitch since Skip Schumaker in 2008. He pitched a 1-2-3 ninth. ... Dodgers SS Corey Seager tied Glenn Wright (1930) for the franchise record for home runs by a shortstop. ... Dodgers RF Josh Reddick was scratched from the starting lineup due to a jammed right middle finger. Andrew Toles started in right field. ... Dodgers LHP Brett Anderson (blister) is expected to make his scheduled start on Thursday. But, RHP Ross Stripling will rejoin the team and be activated if needed. ... LHP Rich Hill (blister) remains on track to be activated from the disabled list and start Wednesday against the Giants. ... Reds SS Zack Cozart is improving but remains day-to-day with swelling in his left Achilles' tendon.