LOS ANGELES – It was a "Big Red" blowout at Chavez Ravine on Thursday as the Cincinnati Reds roughed up the Los Angeles Dodgers 10-3 in the series opener at Dodger Stadium.
Cincinnati speedster Billy Hamilton broke out of a slump going 4-for-4 with a career high four hits and four runs scored. Hamilton also hit a solo-shot to left field in the eight inning, his first homer since May 15 against the Giants, a 69 game drought.
"When you're struggling it's hard to keep that confidence going," Hamilton said. "Today was one of those days I can look back on and say 'I can hit,' and that gets my confidence up. It was a good day for me. "
Middle infielders Brandon Phillips and Eugenio Suarez did most of the damage as they combined for seven RBIs and five of Cincinnati's 15 hits on the night.
Phillips drove in three of the Reds' runs, going 2-for-5 with a double and a run scored.
Suarez had career highs in hits with three, and RBIs with four as the shortstop went 3-for-5 with two doubles and a three-run homer that broke the game open in the sixth inning.
Phillips and Suarez also hit back-to-back RBI doubles in the top of the fifth to break the game open and give the Reds a comfortable 5-1 lead.
"Obviously it's not what we envisioned," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. "The first couple innings were OK, and then it kind of unraveled a little bit."
After consecutive shutouts by the Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw, the Dodgers were thoroughly dominated by "Big Red" on Thursday. Cincinnati went 7-for-14 with runners in scoring position, scored runs in four straight innings, and compiled double-digit runs for the sixth time this season.
"When those guys go out there and put up 10 runs – seven when I was in there – you've got to go out there and find a way to get it done," Reds' rookie pitcher Keyvius Sampson said. "I didn't have my best stuff and I didn't have my best control, but I still had to get it done."
Sampson (2-1) made the third start of his young career and was excellent holding the Dodgers to just two runs on five hits in 5 innings. The Reds' rookie has now won back-to-back starts and as a staff have allowed three runs or fewer in 11 of their last 12 games since trading away Mike Leake and ace Johnny Cueto at the deadline.
Sampson outpitched former Reds' pitcher Mat Latos who faced his former team for the first time in the regular season, and since exchanging words with them in Spring Training when he was with the Miami Marlins.
Latos (4-9) played with the Reds from 2012-2014 and was traded away after the 2014 season. He spent his best years with the Reds going 33-16 with a 3.31 ERA and threw over 200 innings in 2012 and 2013 helping Cincinnati reach the playoffs in each of those seasons.
"Who cares," Latos said about facing his former team. "I have to turn the page, it's done and over with and I have to worry about what I have to worry about here."
However, Latos struggled against his former team on Thursday. The right-hander allowed five runs (four earned) for the second straight start to go with seven hits and seven strikeouts in 4.2 innings. Latos has not been as good as advertised since the Miami Marlins traded him at the deadline. Latos is 0-2 with a 6.75 ERA in his three starts as a Dodger.
"It is kinda like spring training all over again trying to get used to a new team and a new catcher," said Latos of his outings since joining the Dodgers. "I have to get back to the way I used to throw and not try and become something I'm not."
A silver lining for Los Angeles was the return of third baseman Justin Turner who was activated from the 15-day disabled list before the game and entered in the fifth inning as part of a double switch.
Turner leadoff the bottom half of the fifth with a 330-foot single off the right field wall in his first at-bat since coming off the disabled list.
"I felt pretty good, and I was just trying to make sure I was early and on time for the fastball and got a good pitch," Turner said of the his first-at bat. "I got a nice greeting from the fans which was pretty nice, it almost felt like the first game of the season."
Turner missed the team's last 14 games with a staph infection in his right thigh, but finished the night 1-for-3 with a run scored.
"It caught me off guard, and I didn't know a whole lot about MRSA," Turner said of the infection. "It was a reality check real quick, I was unfortunate that Stan [Conte] didn't waste any time and got me into the emergency room no questions asked."
Joc Pederson hit his 22nd homer of the season in the bottom of the fourth inning off of Reds' starter Keyvuis Sampson. It was just Pederson's second home run in his last 34 games as the rookie has struggled since the All-Star Break.
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