Spencer Steer belted a home run and Nathaniel Lowe hit a three-run double as the Cincinnati Reds defeated the visiting Los Angeles Angels 7-3 on Saturday afternoon, knotting up the three-game series heading into Sunday’s decider.
Cincinnati scored five runs in the first two innings, but the Angels trimmed away and got within 5-3.
The Reds got two key insurance runs in the eighth on a pair of Chase Silseth wild pitches. Emilio Pagan closed it out in the ninth, working around a one-out walk to Mike Trout.
Pierce Johnson (1-1) provided a pivotal 1 1/3 innings of relief for Cincinnati, striking out Yoan Moncada to strand the tying runs on base in the fifth and working around a one-out Zach Neto double to keep Los Angeles off the board the next inning.
Cincinnati attacked Angels starter George Klassen (0-1) early on, scoring four off the rookie right-hander in the first.
Sal Stewart got it going with an RBI single to bring home Steer, who drew a one-out walk to set the tone. After Klassen loaded the bases, Lowe cleared them with his three-run double for a 4-0 lead after the opening frame.
Steer crossed home for the second time in as many innings with his second home run of the season, a line drive off the left field foul pole.
Los Angeles got on the scoreboard in the third with a bases-loaded RBI fielder’s choice for Schanuel, but the next batter, the newly activated Vaughn Grissom, lined out to left to end the threat.
Klassen was pulled after a leadoff walk to Tyler Stephenson in the bottom of the third and was diagnosed with a fingernail contusion, per the Angels. He allowed five hits, five runs and five walks in two-plus innings in his second major league start.
Trout cut the Reds’ lead in half with a two-run double in the fourth. Williamson’s day ended after he finished the inning, giving up three runs on three hits with six walks.
Los Angeles manager Kurt Suzuki was ejected in the top of the eighth after O’Hoppe was called out for running inside the basepath on a dropped third strike.
