CINCINNATI -- Not only has Nick Lodolo given the Reds a strong season to this point, he's been healthy and has made every start. While the first point is important, manager Terry Francona also puts tremendous value in the latter.
“As much as you want to write," Francona said when asked about Lodolo before facing the Dodgers on Tuesday. "It’s huge."
While setting a new career high by making his 22nd start this season, Lodolo reached a season high with 11 strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings and left in the sixth inning with a two-run lead. In an outcome the Reds could ill-afford so close to Thursday's 6 p.m. ET Trade Deadline, the bullpen gave up three unanswered runs while the offense left a couple of opportunities on the table during a 5-4 loss to the Dodgers at Great American Ball Park.
“Oh my gosh, to have that guy healthy for making all of his starts and being consistent with it is tremendous. He is incredible," said right fielder Jake Fraley, who hit a game-tying two-run home run to right field in the fourth inning. "What he did against a lineup like that, it’s what we all know Lodolo can do. He was phenomenal tonight.”
Lodolo's only blemish was a two-out, two-run opposite-field homer towards the right-field corner by Tommy Edman in the second inning for a 2-0 Dodgers lead.
“I thought he fouled it off and I think he did, too," said Lodolo, who gave up two runs on six hits and one walk. "I don’t think he even knew he hit the ball fair. Even when I saw it going down, I thought it was going to start fading [foul] and it didn’t."
Among Lodolo's strikeout victims was Shohei Ohtani, who struck out three times against him and four times overall during an 0-for-5 night. Lodolo also struck out the side in the first inning, and added three more K's around a Mookie Betts single in the fifth.
“I think a big thing was just two strikes. I was able to throw the breaking ball down and get some chase out of it," Lodolo said. “Not that there is ever a let-up point, but every guy is going to give it to you, so you’ve got to get right after them.”
As the Reds (56-52) battle for a postseason spot, Lodolo's contributions have been critical.
Lodolo has a 2.02 ERA over his past eight starts and is 8-6 with a 3.09 ERA for the season. Having not missed a start is huge for the left-hander, who was limited to seven starts in 2023 because of a stress fracture in his left tibia and had 21 starts last season amid four stints on the injured list.
“It means a lot," Lodolo said. "That was my goal I set out for in the offseason. It was to build a foundation after what’s happened the last two years. Yeah, I’m proud of it. I don’t want to just barely beat [his career high in starts], I want to blow past it. I feel good and in a position to do that.”
After Fraley's homer in the fourth, Noelvi Marte gave the Reds a 3-2 lead with an opposite-way solo homer to right field against Tyler Glasnow.
Cincinnati didn't put Los Angeles away when it had the chance in the fifth inning. A bases-loaded, no-outs situation resulted in only one run on Elly De La Cruz's RBI fielder's choice. The bases were reloaded again with one out, but no more runs could be pushed across.
“It would have been nice if we could have spread it out, for sure, just because of what happened," Francona said.
What happened was the lead evaporated in the seventh inning for reliever Graham Ashcraft. A one-out walk by pinch-hitter Michael Conforto set up the rally, with Betts following with a blooped single to short right field. Will Smith followed with a soft RBI single to left field that Gavin Lux didn't get to. Freddie Freeman sliced a game-tying RBI single near the left-field line.
“They blooped a ball into right and then we moved guys back so the second run doesn’t score, and then a ball falls in front," Francona said. "Just kind of snowballed.”
In the ninth inning, Smith's double to left field off Emilio Pagán scored James Outman from first base with the go-ahead run.
Through their first 34 series of the season, the Reds have not been swept, establishing a new franchise record. They are the only team in the Major Leagues to not get swept in a series this season. That status is in danger with Ohtani set to start on the mound Wednesday for Los Angeles.
Five times this season the Reds have avoided a sweep by winning a final game of a series.