CINCINNATI (AP) — Anthony DeSclafani once again pitched well against Zack Greinke. And once more, the Cincinnati rookie came up just short against the Dodgers ace.

Greinke and two relievers combined on a four-hitter and NL West-leading Los Angeles completed a three-game sweep of the reeling Reds with a 1-0 win on Thursday.

“It’s fun to go against him,” DeSclafani said. “I knew I have to do my best when I go against him.”

Greinke (14-3) lowered his major league-best ERA to 1.61 and allowed four hits over seven innings while leading Los Angeles to its first sweep in Cincinnati since a three-game set in July 2009. He finished with two walks and nine strikeouts.

He improved to 7-2 in 12 games against Cincinnati.

DeSclafani lost at Dodger Stadium 2-1 on Aug. 15 after giving up a home run to Greinke.

The Reds didn’t get a runner to third base until the fifth inning, but Jay Bruce was stranded when DeSclafani bunted foul with two strikes and Skip Schumaker struck out.

“I have to get the bunt down,” DeSclafani said. “That’s on me. It’s not like I don’t work at it.”

DeSclafani (7-10) allowed six hits — three by Andre Ethier — and one run with one walk and six strikeouts in seven innings while losing his third consecutive start.

“DeSclafani was terrific,” Reds manager Bryan Price said. “He was always on the attack. I was proud of him.”

Chris Hatcher pitched the eighth and allowed Todd Frazier’s fly ball to left field that caught one step in front of the wall. Jim Johnson pitched the ninth for his 10th save.

The sweep helped the Dodgers salvage an eight-game road trip that started with five straight losses, including a no-hitter by Houston’s Mike Fiers last week.

The Reds finished 1-9 on their homestand and have lost 12 of their last 13 games.

Justin Turner, Ethier and Yasiel Puig led off the second with consecutive singles against DeSclafani, setting up Yasmani Grandal’s bases-loaded, run-scoring, double-play ball.

The double play was the first of five turned by the Reds in the game.

“I always try to get ground balls. I can’t say enough about the guys behind me,” DeSclafani said.

Relief pitcher Juan Nicasio was called in from the bullpen to pinch-run in the ninth when Yasiel Puig appeared to pull a leg muscle while beating out an infield hit.

DP LANE

The Reds turned in five double plays, three hit into by Grandal. It was the most the Reds have turned since April 8, 2003 at Houston. The Reds’ record is six which they did twice, on June 20, 1925, against the New York Giants in a nine-inning game and on May 1, 1955, against the Giants in a 16-inning game.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Reds: LHP Sean Marshall remains on his throwing on every third day program as he works his way back from May shoulder surgery. He resumed throwing off bullpen mounds on Aug. 5. “At some point in time, we’d like to see him face live hitters, but we need to see a little more arm strength and a little more familiarity with the breaking ball,” Price said.

UP NEXT

Dodgers: Clayton Kershaw (10-6, 2.29 ERA) is scheduled to start Friday night’s opener of a three-game series against the Cubs at Dodger Stadium. He is 5-0 with an 0.90 ERA over his past nine starts.

Reds: RHP Raisel Iglesias (3-5, 3.93), who’s coming off a 13-strikeout performance in a 4-0 loss to Kansas City last Sunday, is scheduled to start Friday night’s opener of a three-game series at Milwaukee.

 

Dodgers 1, Reds 0

Los Angels AB R H BI BB SO Avg.

J.Rollins ss 2 0 0 0 2 1 .222

Utley 2b 2 0 1 0 0 1 .215

A.Gonzalez 1b 2 0 0 0 0 1 .286

Van Slyke 1b-rf 2 0 0 0 0 0 .241

Ju.Turner 3b 3 1 1 0 1 0 .302

Ethier lf 3 0 3 0 0 0 .296

c-K.Hernandez ph-lf 1 0 0 0 0 0 .303

Puig rf 4 0 2 0 0 1 .256

1-Nicasio pr 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Ellis c 0 0 0 0 0 0 .224

Grandal c-1b 4 0 0 0 0 1 .271

Pederson cf 3 0 0 0 1 1 .213

Greinke p 2 0 0 0 0 1 .218

b-C.Crawford ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .253

Hatcher p 0 0 0 0 0 0 —

d-Guerrero ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .232

Ji.Johnson p 0 0 0 0 0 0 —

Totals 30 1 7 0 4 8

 

Cincinnati AB R H BI BB SO Avg.

Schumaker lf 4 0 1 0 0 3 .218

Frazier 3b 4 0 0 0 0 1 .263

Votto 1b 2 0 0 0 2 0 .305

Phillips 2b 4 0 0 0 0 0 .285

Suarez ss 4 0 0 0 0 2 .293

Bruce rf 3 0 0 0 1 0 .231

Bourgeois cf 4 0 1 0 0 1 .237

Barnhart c 3 0 2 0 0 0 .265

DeSclafani p 2 0 0 0 0 2 .152

a-B.Pena ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .274

Hoover p 0 0 0 0 0 0 —

A.Chapman p 0 0 0 0 0 0 —

Totals 31 0 4 0 3 10

 

Los Angeles 010 000 000 — 1 7 0

Cincinnati 000 000 000 — 0 4 1

 

a-struck out for DeSclafani in the 7th. b-struck out for Greinke in the 8th. c-reached on error for Ethier in the 9th. d-fouled out for Hatcher in the 9th.

1-ran for Puig in the 9th.

E—Phillips (7). LOB—Los Angeles 8, Cincinnati 7. SB—Bruce (9).

Runners left in scoring position—Los Angeles 6 (Pederson, Ju.Turner, Van Slyke 2, Guerrero 2); Cincinnati 2 (Frazier, Schumaker). RISP—Los Angeles 2 for 10; Cincinnati 1 for 5.

GIDP—Van Slyke, Ju.Turner, Grandal 3.

DP—Cincinnati 5 (Phillips, Suarez, Votto), (Suarez, Phillips, Votto), (Frazier, Phillips, Votto), (Phillips, Suarez, Votto), (Frazier, Phillips, Votto).

 

Los Angeles IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA

Greinke W, 14-3 7 4 0 0 2 9 109 1.61

Hatcher H, 8 1 0 0 0 1 1 15 5.48

Ji.Johnson S, 10-16 1 0 0 0 0 0 12 4.37

Cincinnati IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA

DeSclafani L, 7-10 7 6 1 1 1 6 99 3.84

Hoover 1 0 0 0 2 1 26 1.78

A.Chapman 1 1 0 0 1 1 25 1.74

HBP—by Hoover (Utley), by DeSclafani (Utley).

Umpires—Home, Laz Diaz; First, Chris Guccione; Second, Cory Blaser; Third, Jeff Nelson.

T—2:54. A—25,529 (42,319).