Matt McLain completed a spectacular homecoming trip with a two-run homer and three RBIs to lead the visiting Cincinnati Reds to a 7-3 win Wednesday night, completing a doubleheader and three-game series sweep of the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim, Calif.
McLain, an Orange County native who starred collegiately at nearby UCLA, scored five times in the two games Wednesday and homered twice in the three-game set. Another Southern California native, Spencer Steer, went 5-for-10 in Cincinnati's three-game sweep of the Angels.
The Reds completed their first sweep of a doubleheader of nine-inning games since July 8, 2014, and their first nine-inning doubleheader sweep on the road since June 5, 1999. They also improved to 29-12 in their last 41 road games.
Two pitches after fouling a ball off his right heel, TJ Friedl led off the fourth inning with a triple. Two pitches after that, Tyler Stephenson blasted a two-run homer that ignited a three-run inning off Los Angeles starter and loser Reid Detmers (3-10), putting Cincinnati ahead for good 4-1.
The Angels lost for the 16th time in 21 games in August.
In Wednesday's first game, Elly De La Cruz hit a three-run homer, tripled and drove in a career-high six runs to lead the Reds to a 9-4 win.
After leaving the first game as the starting pitcher in the second inning with right arm fatigue, Shohei Ohtani returned in the second game as the designated hitter, going 1-for-5 with a double and run scored.
Rookie right-hander Lyon Richardson made his second spot start of the season for Cincinnati in the nightcap and had a much better experience than his major league debut on Aug. 6 vs. Washington.
That day in Cincinnati, Richardson was tagged for four runs and four hits over just three innings, allowing a pair of home runs in losing his big league debut.
On Wednesday night he allowed three runs and four hits over 4 1/3 innings. Richardson was in line for the win but couldn't get out of the fifth inning. A one-out single by Nolan Schanuel was followed by an Ohtani double, ending Richardson's night.
Sam Moll replaced Richardson and surrendered a two-run single to Luis Rengifo to cut Cincinnati's lead to 4-3.
Lucas Sims (4-3) relieved Moll in the sixth and earned the win by pitching out of a one-out, two-on jam. Two innings later, the Reds put the game away with a Noelvi Marte run-scoring groundout and McClain's two-run homer.
—Field Level Media