McCoy: Reds overpowered by Ohtani, Snell in 10-5 Game 1 loss at Dodger Stadium

It was a portend of things to come, a preview.

The Los Angeles Dodgers hit five home runs Tuesday night in Dodger Stadium, tying the franchise record for home runs in a postseason game.

Three launched against Greene in three innings he survived as the Dodgers poured it on the Cincinnati Reds, 10-5.

It gives the Dodgers a giant step up after one game in the best-of-three National League playoffs.

And the Reds’ season is in the hands of Zack Littell in Game 2 Wednesday night, a pitcher who gave up 36 home runs during the regular season, most in MLB.

Asked about Littell’s start, Reds manager Tito Francona said, “I hope it’s terrific. That’s the idea.”

Ohtani, the most prodigious leadoff hitter in MLB history, hit two home runs and Teoscar Hernandez hit two.

LA’s first eight runs came on home runs.

That was far more than LA starter Blake Snell needed as he proved cockroaches can be killed.

He held the Reds to no runs and one hit through six innings before the Reds reached him for a pair of runs in the seventh.

Then the Dodgers weakness surfaced in the eighth inning, the bullpen.

After manager Dave Roberts lifted Snell after seven innings, he had to use three relief pitchers in the eighth and they needed 59 pitches to cover the inning.

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

And Alex Vesia, Edgardo Henriquez and Jack Dreyer were a disaster.

They went to 3-and-2 counts on seven straight batters. They walked four of five hitters in mid-inning, twice walking batters with the bases loaded.

The Reds scored three runs, cutting LA’s lead to 10-5 and they had the bases loaded with two outs.

Tyler Stephenson battled Dreyer for 11 pitches and twice fouled off what would have been ball four before striking out.

“I liked it, he had a really good at-bat,” said Francona. “If he could have found a way to flip one in there or something. . .but that’s a big deficit, a lot to ask, but we kept fightin’ ‘em and that’s what you’re supposed to do.”

After giving up the home run in the first to Ohtani, Greene walked two straight with one out in the third and Hernandez drilled a three-run homer into the left field seats. Two pitches later, light-hitting Tommy Edman homered and it was 5-0.

Scott Barlow replaced Greene in the fourth and struck out the side. He retired the first two in the fifth, one of them another strikeout.

But with two outs and nobody on, Francona replaced Barlow with Connor Phillips. Hernandez didn’t care what number the pitcher was wearing and greeted Phillips with his second home run.

Phillips returned for the seventh and gave up a one-out single to pinch-hitter Miguel Rojas and a two-out, two-run space shuttle home run to Ohtani, this one traveling 454 feet, and it was 8-0.

The Dodgers outhit the Reds 15-7. Hernandez had three hits and four other Dodgers had two hits as LA beat the Reds for the sixth time in seven games this season.

“It’s always great to start the game like that,” said Hernandez about Ohtani’s leadoff home run. “You always appreciate it when you can punch first and thanks to Ohtani we did that.”

Hernandez looked as if he was still swinging away in the Home Run Derby, which he won at this year’s All-Star break.

He said he preferred his second home run, the one he hit the opposite way to right center, even though it was a solo shot and his first one to left field was a three-run blast that broke the game open.

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

“It feels great when you hit the ball like that to right-center,” he said. “I like to hit the ball over there.

“In the playoffs, all the little things matter. For me, I try to focus on the things I need to do to help this team win,” he added. “I don’t think about my results, just the results for the team.”

Francona’s assessment of Greene’s short appearance was succinct.

“He didn’t locate and he threw a couple breaking balls (sliders to Hernandez and Edman) that weren’t where he wanted to throw them ‘em,” he said. “When he didn’t locate, he really paid a price for it. If you make a mistake, they can make you pay.”

Francona was impressed with Snell’s change-up, which had the Reds swinging at pitches they couldn’t reach with a rowboat oar.

“He can vary that change-up,” he said. “He threw one that was 87 (miles an hour) and one that was 82 off the first change-up. He threw three or four in a row at times and all at different speeds. Then he throws it 97 in there and it becomes difficult.”

And it is going to be difficult for the Reds to avoid an early trip back to Cincinnati if they can’t pitch better and hit better.

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