ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Gavin Lux hit an early two-run homer and the Cincinnati Reds used three leadoff triples to beat the Los Angeles Angels 4-1 on Monday night.
TJ Friedl had a leadoff single in the first inning off Victor Mederos, making his second career start, and Lux followed with his fifth homer for a 2-0 lead.
Elly De La Cruz led off the fifth with his fourth triple before scoring on a sacrifice fly by Austin Hays to make it 3-1. Hays tripled in the third but was stranded.
Ke’Bryan Hayes hit the Reds’ third leadoff triple when center fielder Luis Rengifo let the ball get over his head in the eighth. Matt McLain’s sacrifice fly pushed it to 4-1. The three triples were the most for the Reds since they hit five in a 17-9 win over the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on July 13, 2019.
Brady Singer (11-9) went six innings for Cincinnati and allowed only an RBI double by Taylor Ward in the first. Singer is 3-1 in four August starts, yielding five runs over 21 2/3 innings.
Scott Barlow replaced Luis Mey with two on and two outs in the eighth and struck out Jo Adell swinging to keep it 4-1. Barlow fanned three more in the ninth for his first save this season.
Mederos (0-1) gave up three runs on nine hits and three walks in five innings.
Key moment
Singer retired nine straight batters until Nolan Schanuel and Mike Trout hit back-to-back singles with one out in the sixth. Singer retired Ward on a shallow fly to right and struck out Yoán Moncada looking to keep it 3-1.
Key stat
The Reds (66-60) used their ninth straight victory over the Angels (60-65) to pull within one game of the Mets for the final National League wild card.
Up next
Reds RHP Hunter Greene (5-3, 2.47 ERA) starts Tuesday opposite Angels RHP Kyle Hendricks (6-8, 4.88).
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