Reds rally as reds hitters deliver late in 14-13 spring win over Dodgers

The Cincinnati Reds edged the Los Angeles Dodgers 14-13 in a spring training game highlighted by hot offense and shaky relief pitching. Reds hitters produced a combined 10 home runs in a windy afternoon, and a four-run ninth finished the comeback.

Reds bullpen hammered

Relievers Emilio Pagán and Tony Santillan struggled, combining to allow seven earned runs in 1 2/3 innings. Pagán surrendered three home runs in the third inning, while Santillan gave up three earned runs in the fourth before being pulled. Another Cincinnati reliever, Connor Phillips, allowed three earned runs in the fifth inning.

Pagán and Santillan each had strong workload markers from last season mentioned in coverage: Pagán’s previous season included a 2. 88 ERA and 32 saves in 70 appearances, and Santillan appeared in 80 games with a 2. 44 ERA. The bullpen issues in this game, however, forced the offense into heavy lift mode.

McLain keeps swinging for reds

Matt McLain continued his torrid spring, going 3-for-3 with three runs, a home run and two RBI in the win. Through 20 spring plate appearances he is slashing. 647/. 700/1. 412 with four home runs and 11 RBI. Cincinnati scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth to secure the victory, capped by a walk-off three-run home run by Rece Hinds.

The teams combined for 10 home runs on a windy afternoon. Elly De La Cruz, Will Benson and Nate Lowe also homered for Cincinnati; De La Cruz’s homer was measured at 438 feet. The Dodgers hit five homers in the game, including two by Santiago Espinal and a ninth-inning shot from Nick Senzel.

Cactus League Game 10 notes

The matchup served as part of Cactus League activity weekend. The Reds had been fresh off a 19-2 win over Team Cuba in that opponent’s final warm-up before the World Baseball Classic. For this meeting, the Reds planned to counter with Jose Franco on the mound while the Dodgers were lined up to start Cole Irvin. The first pitch was set for 3: 05 PM ET and the game was scheduled to be broadcast on television.

The Reds opened with a lineup that included Elly De La Cruz among their expected regulars. The Dodgers were sitting most of their regulars for the spring contest, though a few veteran bats were penciled into the order for the day.

Key takeaways

• Offense dominated: 10 combined home runs and a 14-13 final score.
• Bullpen concern: Pagán and Santillan gave up seven earned runs in limited work.
• McLain stayed hot: 3-for-3 game and strong spring slash line through 20 plate appearances.

Looking ahead, the game leaves observable indicators to watch: whether the bullpen stabilizes in coming spring appearances and whether McLain and De La Cruz maintain their power production as the exhibition slate continues.