ANAHEIM — Back in a familiar climate, Gavin Lux continues to play it cool even as his August numbers have raised the temperature.
Lux homered among two hits in five at-bats and right-hander Brady Singer gave up one run on six hits over six innings as the Reds opened a key three-city, nine-game road trip with a 4-1 victory over the Angels on Monday night at Angel Stadium.
“It’s just trying to have a good plan every day and we’re in the playoff hunt here, so just trying to lock it in and do whatever the team needs me to do that day to help win a game,” Lux said.
Austin Hays had two hits with an RBI and Scott Barlow pitched 1 1/3 innings for his first save as the Reds extended their winning streak over the Angels to nine games, dating back to August 2019. It’s the club’s longest winning streak against an American League team.
With 36 contests remaining in the regular season, the Reds sit one game out of the third and final National League Wild Card spot, currently held by the New York Mets.
A challenging road awaits with future matchups against the Dodgers, Mets, Padres, Cubs and the MLB-best Brewers, among others, as manager Terry Francona cautions against distractions.
“I don’t think it’s any bit productive to look down the road and see who we’re playing three weeks from now,” Francona said. “We might miss what’s right in front of us and I don’t want to do that.”
Lux got the Reds’ offense going with a two-run home run in the first, while he delivered his fifth multi-hit game over his last nine contests. Elly De La Cruz tripled to lead off the fifth inning and scored on a fly ball from Hays, while Ke’Bryan Hayes tripled to lead off the eighth and scored on a Matt McLain sacrifice fly.
The Reds also had a leadoff triple from Hays in the third, but he was left stranded.
California’s warm days with low humidity and cool summer nights are familiar to Lux from his days with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Last season, he had eight of his 10 home runs in July and August.
His seven career home runs in August are now his most in any month.
“Maybe when the weather gets warmer, the ball flies better. I don’t know,” Lux said when asked about productive second-half stretches the past two seasons. “I think usually as the season goes, the more at-bats you get, the more you kind of put the puzzle pieces together and figure it out a little more.”
Void of the power that led him to a career-best 10 home runs last season, while moving into a home ballpark that seemed to suggest bigger power numbers, it is not like Lux has been lacking for production in recent weeks.
Starting with his first of consecutive three-hit games on Aug. 7, Lux is now 13-for-31 (.419) over the past week-plus.
“I think he’s been consistent all year,” Francona said. “You’re going to go through a little ups and downs, but his at-bats all year have been solid.”
As much as Lux’s production has been a promising development for the Reds, so was De La Cruz’s triple, his first three-base hit since July 11, and fourth of the season after collecting 10 of them last year.
With just one home run since June 24, De La Cruz’s slugging percentage has taken a hit and yet he has still found ways to produce, even as he played through a quad injury.
“He’s done a really good job; plays every day,” Francona said. “And I don’t care how many home runs he hits. … When you start trying to chase home runs, you’re probably going to lose some of your production. He’s been plenty productive for us.”
Singer (11-9) has now given up one run or fewer in three of his last four outings, in a run that includes a pair of scoreless outings against the Phillies last Tuesday and the Braves on Aug. 1.
On Monday, he received highlight defensive plays from Hayes at third base. At the same time, the bullpen stepped up even as Tony Santillan, Graham Ashcraft and Emilio Pagan all had the night off following recent usage. Barlow recorded all four of his outs by strikeout.
“We love this; this is what you play for,” Singer said. “I played a few seasons when you weren’t in it and it’s not very fun, I can tell you that. So being in it, in this Wild Card race, is a blast and guys have been tremendous with it.”
