Major League Baseball

Alex Wood earns 1st LA win as Dodgers beat Reds 5-3

Published Aug. 15, 2015 12:56 a.m. ET

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LOS ANGELES (AP) Alex Wood took a comebacker in the ankle, popped a bunt into a double play, and still earned his first victory with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The 24-year-old left-hander got a boost from Adrian Gonzalez's three-run homer in a 5-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night.

''That's the sign of a good ballclub. They picked me up,'' Wood said. ''It gives me confidence to get my first win. It was the best I've thrown of all three (starts) so far.''

Wood (8-7) won in his third start with his new team, allowing three runs and five hits in 6 1/3 innings. He struck out three and walked three in his home debut since being acquired from Atlanta.

''I'm definitely trying my hardest to earn their respect,'' Wood said of his teammates. ''The expectations wherever you go are high. You have to come in and perform. This is an organization that wants to win.''

Kenley Jansen retired the side in the ninth for his 23rd save in 24 chances. He earned his 129th career save, tying Jeff Shaw for second all-time in franchise history.

Already bothered slightly by an ankle issue, Wood got hit in the ankle in the third inning.

''It's still attached,'' he said, smiling. ''Put a little patch on there and hope it won't feel too bad in the morning.''

Wood's bunt popped into a double play, with Joc Pederson getting doubled off first base in the fifth. But Jimmy Rollins, Kike Hernandez and Justin Turner each singled, and Gonzalez followed with his team-leading 23rd homer to put the Dodgers ahead for good.

''He got us where we needed to go,'' Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said of Wood. ''It's always hard for guys to come over and jump in with a team they don't know.''

John Lamb (0-1) gave up those four consecutive two-out hits, including the 1-0 fastball to Gonzalez.

''I may not do that again. It wasn't the best pitch to throw,'' Lamb said. ''I know I made a few other mistakes, but generally, I just went out there and told myself I was going to leave it all out there on the field and attack and challenge them.''

Joey Votto drove in all three of Cincinnati's runs, including a two-run homer that left the Reds trailing 5-3 in the sixth. After going 1 for 4 in the series opener Thursday, he was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Votto's RBI double in the first provided the Reds' only lead.

Lamb allowed five runs and eight hits in six innings of his major league debut at the same ballpark where his grandfather John Ramsey worked as the Dodgers' public address announcer from 1958-84. The 25-year-old left-hander from the Orange County city of Laguna Hills struck out seven and walked two.

Lamb was born six months after his grandfather died in 1990.

''It was neat to hear Vin Scully up on the Jumbotron, not only talking about myself but my grandpa,'' he said. ''It was definitely a surreal moment. I definitely felt like I was dreaming.''

Lamb wore Johnny Cueto's former No. 47 after the Reds sent Cueto to Kansas City last month for Lamb and two other left-handed prospects. Lamb took fellow rookie Michael Lorenzen's spot in the rotation after he was optioned to Triple-A Louisville on Thursday.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Dodgers: RHP Juan Nicasio went on the 15-day DL retroactive to Monday with a left abdominal strain that occurred while warming up Thursday. ... RHP Carlos Frias was transferred to the 60-day DL with right lower back tightness. ... RHP Chris Hatcher, who had a left oblique strain, came off the 60-day DL. ... C Yasmani Grandal returned after missing a day with a sore left shoulder.

MOVING UP

Jansen notched the 504th and 505th strikeouts of his career, passing Jonathan Broxton (503) for the second-most as a reliever in Los Angeles history, trailing Jim Brewer's 604 strikeouts.

ROOKIE ROTATION

Lamb was the eighth rookie pitcher to start for the Reds this season, tying the modern club record. Rookies have started 16 straight games since July 28, the longest such streak since the first year of the rookie designation in 1958.

UP NEXT

Reds: LHP David Holmberg (1-1, 3.06 ERA) makes his fourth start of the season and his first career appearance against LA. In Monday's 2-1 loss at San Diego, he only allowed a two-run homer by Justin Upton.

Dodgers: LHP Brett Anderson (6-7, 3.43) leads the majors with a 66.1 ground-ball percentage, inducing 263 grounders this season.