SAN DIEGO — It sure looked like Nick Lodolo was careening toward a rough Monday night on the mound. The Reds’ starting pitcher opened the second inning against the Padres with back-to-back walks and, at that point, had thrown almost as many balls (14) as strikes (16).
But Lodolo saved himself and the Reds. The lefty struck out the side, seven of his next eight batters and recorded 11 K’s over seven innings during Cincinnati’s 5-2 victory over San Diego at Petco Park.
Lodolo, who retired his final 18 batters after the second-inning walks, finished with one earned run and one hit allowed while throwing 99 pitches. He is 3-0 with a 1.88 ERA in four starts this season.
The Reds took a 1-0 lead against Padres knuckleballer Matt Waldron two batters into the game when Elly De La Cruz hit a 443-foot home run. Waldron got De La Cruz to whiff on a first-pitch knuckler and foul off another. The next pitch was a 91 mph sinker, and De La Cruz clobbered it to left-center field for his eighth home run.
Leading off against Lodolo in the bottom of the first, Jurickson Profar hit a game-tying homer to left field. It would be the last hit Lodolo gave up in the game.
The Reds took back the lead in the second inning on Santiago Espinal’s sacrifice fly that scored Nick Martini. A balk called on Waldron allowed Jeimer Candelario to score. Spencer Steer’s one-out RBI double drove in Will Benson to make it a three-run lead in the third inning.
Tags: Nick Lodolo notches strikeouts Padres
