CINCINNATI (AP) — Yasmani Grandal and Justin Turner drove in three runs each, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat Cincinnati 8-1 Wednesday to avoid a season sweep by the last-place Reds.
Joc Pederson homered for the Dodgers, and Grandal had three hits.
Los Angeles began the day 1½ games behind NL West-leading Colorado and three games back of St. Louis for the second NL wild card. The Dodgers had been 0-6 against the Reds and were on the verge of being swept by Cincinnati in a season for the first time.
Cincinnati’s Scooter Gennett went 1 for 4, keeping his league-leading batting average at .321.
Left-hander Caleb Ferguson (6-2), the third of seven Dodgers pitchers, struck out three in the fifth.
Anthony DeSclafani (7-5) allowed six runs — five earned — five hits and three walks in 4 2/3 innings. He failed to last five innings for the third straight start.
Jose Peraza put Cincinnati ahead with his first inning homer, but Pederson tied it 1-1 with a leadoff drive in the fourth, his second two games and 21st this season.
Grandal hit a go-ahead double later in the inning, a ball caught by a young fan with a glove reaching over the wall with the ball still in play. Max Muncy scored from first and Reds manager Jim Riggleman argued unsuccessfully he should have been stopped at third, but the umpires’ decision was upheld in a video review.
Turner hit a two-run single in a four-run fifth.
UP NEXT
Dodgers: LHP Clayton Kershaw (7-5) is to make his first start of the season against St. Louis on Thursday. He is 6-5 with a 2.99 ERA in 16 starts against the Cardinals.
Reds: RHP Matt Harvey (7-8) limited the Cubs to one run and five hits in 5 1/3 innings of a 10-inning Cincinnati loss on Aug. 24.
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