The game was over in the first inning. Cincinnati erupted for four runs before Los Angeles could settle in, then held that early advantage through nine innings to defeat the Angels 7-3 at Great American Ball Park.
Elly De La Cruz sparked the offensive outburst with three hits and two doubles, while Nathaniel Lowe delivered the decisive blow with a three-RBI double in the opening frame. Spencer Steer added a solo home run in the second inning, extending the lead to 5-0 before the Angels could mount any response.
The first inning told the story. Stewart reached on an infield single to bring home Steer, then Lowe doubled to right field to clear the bases, scoring De La Cruz, Suárez and Stewart for a commanding 4-0 lead. Steer's 383-foot home run to left in the second inning pushed the margin to five runs.
Los Angeles fought back with three runs over the third and fourth innings. Schanuel's groundout brought home Neto in the third, then Mike Trout doubled to left in the fourth to score Neto and Moncada, cutting the deficit to 5-3. But that was as close as the Angels would get.
Pierce Johnson earned the win with 1.1 innings of relief, striking out three while allowing one hit. The victory snapped Cincinnati's three-game losing streak and improved their record to 8-6, while Los Angeles fell to 7-7 after winning their previous game.