Spencer Steer broke a tie with a two-run, two-out triple in the eighth inning as the Cincinnati Reds salvaged the finale of a three-game series with a 5-2 win over the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday.
Dodgers starter Shohei Ohtani exited as a pitcher after just three-plus innings. He flied out to Benson for the final out of the game, finishing 0-for-5 at the plate.
Three pitches after left fielder Andy Pages dropped a foul pop along the left field line, Steer drove the 11th pitch of the at-bat from Emmet Sheehan (2-2) to deep center. James Outman, who entered the game as a defensive replacement to start the inning, leaped at the wall and had the ball bounce off his glove as Austin Hays and Tyler Stephenson scored for a 4-2 lead.
Will Benson, who made a pair of spectacular running catches in center, added an RBI single off Blake Treinen to increase the advantage to 5-2.
After dropping the first two games to the Dodgers, the Reds extended their streak to 35 series without being swept this season, the only major league team not to have been swept so far in 2025.
Reds reliever Scott Barlow (4-0) recorded the final two outs of the top of the eighth, escaping a bases-loaded, one-out jam. Tony Santillan pitched a scoreless ninth for his third save.
Ohtani was escorted from the mound by medical training staff after walking Tyler Stephenson and throwing two more balls to Spencer Steer in the fourth before manager Dave Roberts hurried out of the Dodgers’ dugout.
Ohtani, who had his second Tommy John surgery in September 2023, was making his seventh start of the season, and was into the fourth inning for the first time this season. He was charged with two runs on five hits and two walks with two strikeouts.
Anthony Banda entered the game, finishing a walk to Steer that was charged to Ohtani. Banda allowed a sacrifice fly to Benson but got out of the inning with the game tied 2-2.
Freddie Freeman hit a two-run homer for the Dodgers in the fourth inning off Nick Martinez, who allowed two runs on four hits in six innings. Martinez fanned seven and walked two.
Steer had two hits and two RBIs for the Reds, and Santiago Espinal also collected two hits.
–Field Level Media
