LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jesse Winker's two-run homer in the 10th inning sent the Cincinnati Reds past the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-3 Monday night to snap a seven-game losing streak.
Winker led off the 10th by taking Kenley Jansen’s slider over the wall in left field with Alex Blandino on second base after making the last out of the ninth. The Reds lead the majors with 34 home runs, including five by Winker, who tops the National League with a .382 batting average.
“I know he throws a lot of cutters. I had a plan and just kind of went for it,” Winker said. “That was a good game. I was happy I got up and got it out.”
Winker had two hits to extend his hitting streak to 11 games, the longest active run in the majors and one game shy of his career high. He is 18 for 49 with four homers and 10 RBIs during the streak.
“He is not afraid of any situation. That goes a long way when you believe in yourself and you are coming up against the best,” Reds manager David Bell said.
It was the first home run Jansen (0-1) has allowed in nine appearances this season. He has given up 25 over the past four seasons, tied for eighth-most among relief pitchers.
Nick Castellanos had two hits and drove in a run for Cincinnati. Tejay Antone (1-0) got the win with three hitless innings, striking out three.
“To shut them out at the end of the game, the odds are against you when you face this team, but he came through for us in a big way,” Bell said.
Los Angeles, which lost in extra innings for the second straight night, has dropped five of its last seven after starting the season 13-3. The defending World Series champions are tied with San Francisco atop the NL West.
Despite the slump over the past week, manager Dave Roberts isn't panicking.
“We got off to a good start, but if you look at where we are at I would have banked that at the beginning of the season,” he said. “It is certainly magnified on the offensive side and losing tonight, but like in the past years we are going to be fine.”
The Dodgers trailed 3-1 with two outs in the seventh when Corey Seager drove Amir Garrett's slider over the wall in center to tie it.
Julio Urías allowed only a leadoff walk through three innings before Cincinnati scored twice in the fourth. Winker led off the inning with a single and Castellanos followed with a double into the right-field corner. Eugenio Suárez's grounder drove in Winker, and a sacrifice fly by Nick Senzel scored Castellanos.
The Dodgers responded with a run in the fourth when Chris Taylor led off with a single and scored on Gavin Lux's two-out single.
Castellanos gave the Reds a 3-1 lead in the fifth with an RBI single.
FOR STARTERS
Cincinnati's Tyler Mahle, who grew up in Newport Beach, allowed one run in five innings with five strikeouts. He got out of a bases-loaded jam in the first when Will Smith grounded into a double play. The right-hander retired eight straight at one point.
Urías didn't make it to the sixth inning for the first time in five starts this season. The lefty gave up three runs and struck out six.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Reds: 3B Mike Moustakas (illness) continues to make progress and is likely to come off the injured list Tuesday. ... 2B Jonathan India was in the lineup after being hit in the head by a pitch during Sunday's game at St. Louis. ... OF Shogo Akiyama (left hamstring strain) played five innings in an alternate site game on Sunday night. He is not expected to be activated off the injured list for at least two more weeks.
Dodgers: Lux (right wrist soreness) and RHP Dennis Santana (illness) were activated from the injured list. ... LHP David Price has been placed on the injured list with a Grade 2 right hamstring strain.
UP NEXT
A pair of right-handers go in the middle game of the series. Cincinnati's Jeff Hoffman (2-1, 2.66 ERA) has allowed three runs (two earned) over 11 innings in his last two starts. Los Angeles' Walker Buehler (1-0, 2.16) has a 1.47 ERA in three career starts against the Reds but is 1-2.
Trevor Bauer, who signed with the Dodgers during the offseason after pitching for the Reds last year, will receive his NL Cy Young Award before the game. Bauer spent 1 1/2 seasons in Cincinnati after being traded by Cleveland in 2019.
