LOS ANGELES — The Cincinnati Reds had a chance to take sole possession of first place Saturday night but lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers, 3-2, at Dodger Stadium.
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Max Muncy hit a pair of two-out home runs, including the go-ahead shot off Luke Weaver in the sixth.
Muncy put the Dodgers, 2-0, with a two-run shot to right field in the first.
It stayed that way until the sixth when the Reds scored two runs to tie the game. Elly De La Cruz led off the inning with a double and T.J. Friedl reached on an infield single to put runners on first and third.
Kevin Newman’s sacrifice fly with one out cut the lead to 2-1. Spencer Steer’s RBI single drove in Friedl to tie the game. Joey Votto walked and Joe Kelly came into the game. He threw a wild pitch to advance the runners to second and third and walked Christian Encarnacion-Strand to load the bases. Kelly retired pinch hitter Will Benson on a called third strike to end the inning.
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In the Dodgers half of the inning, Weaver got the first two outs, but Muncy hit a 3-0 pitch over the right-field wall for a home run.
The Reds got the tying run on base twice in the late innings. Matt McLain led off the eighth inning with a single but was left stranded on second when Votto grounded out to second off Evan Phillips.
Tyler Stephenson hit a two-out single in the ninth, but De La Cruz flew out to left to end the game.
Cincinnati trails Milwaukee by a half-game in the NL Central.
The Reds and Dodgers conclude the weekend series today at 4:10 p.m.
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