Elly De La Cruz hit a three-run homer, stole three bases and scored on a throwing error to lead the Cincinnati Reds past the visiting Los Angeles Angels 7-1 Friday night.
Cincinnati starter and winner Nick Lodolo (2-0) allowed one run over 6 1/3 innings and Tyler Stephenson blasted a tape-measure, tiebreaking home run for the Reds, who snapped a three-game losing streak.
Making just his second start back from the injured list, Lodolo kept the Angels scoreless until the fifth when Jo Adell singled home Luis Rengifo to tie the game. Lodolo allowed seven hits and one run, striking out six and without walking a batter.
The Angels threatened in the seventh, chasing Lodolo from the game. With runners on second and third and one out, reliever Fernando Cruz struck out Adell and Zach Neto to end the rally.
The Reds broke open a close game with five runs in the eighth, highlighted by De La Cruz’s sixth homer off the top of the left field wall off Angels reliever Jose Cisnero.
The Reds broke a 1-1 tie in the sixth when Stephenson belted his second homer, a 433-foot blast well into the upper deck in left.
The Reds used De La Cruz’s speed to generate their first run off Angels starter and loser Tyler Anderson (2-2). With two outs in the second, De La Cruz chopped a grounder over the pitcher’s mound and into center field for Cincinnati’s first hit.
Anderson held the Reds to two runs (one earned) on three hits over seven innings.
De La Cruz then stole second and third on consecutive pitches. On the steal of third, catcher Logan O’Hoppe threw wildly past third baseman Anthony Rendon and down the left field line, allowing De La Cruz to easily trot home with Cincinnati’s first run.
The Reds used alert defense to keep the Angels off the board in the third.
After reaching on a broken-bat infield single to the third base side of the pitcher’s mound, Adell stole second. With two outs, Rendon hit a grounder to the hole at short where De La Cruz fielded and threw across his body to first.
Rendon beat the throw as Spencer Steer picked the throw out of the dirt. Adell didn’t break stride around third and Steer turned and easily threw out Adell at home.
Jonathan India broke out of a career-worst 0-for-24 slump when he singled sharply to center with one out in the third.
