Gavin Lux homered early, and Brady Singer turned in another steady outing as the Cincinnati Reds defeated the Los Angeles Angels 4-1 on Monday night at Angel Stadium. The victory extended Cincinnati’s winning streak against Los Angeles to nine games and tightened the National League wild card race.
Sportsbooks had opened the contest with the Reds listed as slight -120 favorites on the road, while the Angels carried +100 underdog odds. Cincinnati covered comfortably behind timely extra-base hits and a composed performance from its starting pitcher.
The Reds wasted little time in taking control. TJ Friedl singled to begin the game against Angels right-hander Victor Mederos, who was making his second career start. Lux followed immediately with a two-run homer, his fifth of the season, giving Cincinnati a 2-0 advantage before an out had been recorded.
The Angels briefly responded in the bottom half of the inning when Taylor Ward delivered an RBI double off Singer, scoring Mike Trout to cut the deficit in half. However, Los Angeles failed to sustain offensive pressure, and Singer settled into a rhythm.
Cincinnati’s offense leaned on aggressive baserunning and well-placed contact. Austin Hays tripled in the third inning but was stranded, though he later delivered a sacrifice fly in the fifth to score Elly De Los Angeles Cruz, who had opened the inning with his fourth triple of the season. That run restored the Reds’ two-run cushion. In the eighth, Ke’Bryan Hayes added the Reds’ third leadoff triple of the night when a ball carried over center fielder Luis Rengifo’s head. Matt McLain brought Hayes home with a sacrifice fly, extending the lead to 4-1.
The Reds finished with three triples, their highest total over four years. The last time Cincinnati had as many was on July 13, 2019, when the club tallied five in a high-scoring win at Colorado’s Coors Field.
Singer (11-9) worked six innings, allowing one run on six hits while walking none and striking out four. He improved to 3-1 across four August starts, giving up just five runs in 21 2/3 innings during that span. His ability to escape jams was evident in the sixth inning when, after back-to-back singles from Nolan Schanuel and Trout, he induced a shallow fly from Ward and struck out Yoán Moncada to end the inning.
Despite showing flashes of promise, Mederos (0-1) took the loss after giving up three runs on nine hits and three walks in five innings. He also hit one batter while striking out five.
The Angels had an opportunity late when reliever Luis Mey put two men aboard in the eighth, but Scott Barlow entered and struck out Jo Adell on three pitches to end the threat. Barlow remained in for the ninth and struck out the side to secure his first save of the season.
With the win, the Reds improved to 66-60 and moved within a game of the New York Mets for the final National League wild card position. The Angels fell to 60-65, continuing their struggles against Cincinnati.
The series continues Tuesday with Cincinnati sending right-hander Hunter Greene (5-3, 2.47 ERA) to the mound against Angels veteran Kyle Hendricks (6-8, 4.88 ERA). Oddsmakers have tabbed the Reds as -130 favorites, with Los Angeles at +110.
