CINCINNATI — Adrian Gonzalez got the most pleasure out of watching his teammates circle the bases. Nobody made as many trips as he did.
Gonzalez hit three of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ seven home runs — driving in a career-high eight runs — and rookie Corey Seager had a noteworthy home run as well Monday, leading Los Angeles to an 18-9 victory and a split of its four-game series with the Cincinnati Reds.
The National League West leaders enjoyed their biggest home run splurge in 10 years. They’ve won 10 of their past 12 games against Cincinnati.
Four of Gonzalez’s teammates also homered in the Dodgers’ biggest power performance since they hit seven during an 11-10 victory over San Diego on Sept. 18, 2006.
“That was fun,” he said.
Gonzalez started it with a threerun shot in the first inning off Homer Bailey (2-2), who had his worst showing since returning from Tommy John surgery. Gonzalez also had a solo shot in the fifth, when the Dodgers connected four times overall.
His three-run shot in the seventh tied his career high for home runs in a game. He drove in another run with a groundout as the Dodgers scored 18 runs for the first time in 10 years.
The first baseman attributed it to Great American Ball Park’s dimensions.
“It’s tiny and the ball flies,” Gonzalez said. “Right field is short. I hit two fly balls that went out. I could have been 1 for 6 with a homer.”
Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts played left field for the Padres in that game 10 years ago when Los Angeles also hit seven.
“It feels much better from this side,” Roberts said. “Yeah, I saw ‘em. I remember.”
The Dodgers needed the big game offensively. Left-hander Scott Kazmir lasted a season-low 2 2/3 innings, giving up six hits and four runs. Joey Votto singled home a run off reliever Jesse Chavez (1-0), one of his four RBIs.
Kazmir said he’s been bothered lately by a stiff right side of his neck. He doesn’t want to go on the disabled list. He’ll be examined in Los Angeles.
“I’m pretty stubborn,” Kazmir said. “I can feel like this and get it done. But when you’re putting up numbers like that, it’s tough to swallow.”
There were home run notes galore:
• Seager’s two-run shot gave him 22 home runs this season, tying Glenn Wright’s club record for a shortstop from 1930. He tied his career high with four hits and extended his hitting streak to 13 games.
• The seven home runs allowed by Reds pitchers tied the club record.
• Andrew Toles and Rob Segedin hit their first career home runs back-toback in the fifth, becoming the first Dodger duo to accomplish that one.
• The last time the Dodgers hit four home runs in an inning was Sept. 28, 2006, against San Diego.
Bailey gave up a season-high 6 runs and 9 hits, leaving after 59 pitches. Chase Utley singled on Bailey’s first pitch of the game, and Seager singled on the second pitch. Gonzalez homered on the first pitch, leaving him 11 for 25 in his career against the right-hander with six home runs. The home run also extended his hitting streak to a season-high 15 games.
“We’re seeing what we expected to see,” Reds Manager Bryan Price said of Bailey, who has made five starts. “Some days, he’s electric and sharp. Some days, there’s fatigue and achiness and you’re not going to have your grade-A stuff.”
Bud Norris, who started Friday and lasted 3 2/3 innings, pitched the eighth to help LA’s depleted bullpen. He threw 18 pitches, retired 2 batters, gave up 2 hits and a walk, and felt some tightness in his back. Reds outfielder Tyler Holt pitched the ninth and retired the three batters he faced.
BREWERS 4, ROCKIES 2 Chris Carter homered and Jimmy Nelson won for the first time in seven starts as the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Colorado Rockies. Nelson (7-13) gave up two runs and seven hits in six innings. He hadn’t pitched past the fifth in any of his previous six starts. Nelson struck out four and didn’t walk a batter for the first time this season. The Rockies got a run in the first when David Dahl scored on a wild pitch by Nelson. The Brewers tied it in the bottom of the inning when Jonathan Villar scored from third on an error by Colorado shortstop Daniel Descalso. Kirk Nieuwenhuis added a two-run single. Carter’s solo homer to left in the third, his 30th of the season, off Chad Bettis (10-7) extended Milwaukee’s lead to 4-1. Bettis gave up four runs and four hits. He struck out three and issued a career-high seven walks.
INTERLEAGUE
ASTROS 3, PIRATES 1 Doug Fister pitched seven scoreless innings, Teoscar Hernandez hit a two-run homer and the Houston Astros beat the Pittsburgh Pirates. Hernandez connected off fellow rookie Jameson Taillon (3-3) in the fifth inning after A.J. Reed’s leadoff walk. It was the third home run for Hernandez, who was called up from Triple-A Fresno on Aug. 12 to make his major league debut. Alex Bregman, another Astros rookie, hit his fourth homer in the ninth inning off Neftali Feliz. Houston won its fourth straight game and Pittsburgh lost its fourth in a row. Both teams are competing for wild-card spots. Fister struck out six, walked one and retired 11 of the first 12 batters. He had allowed nine runs and 11 hits over nine innings in his previous two starts. Ken Giles got his fourth save despite allowing David Freese’s RBI single in the ninth.
ORIOLES 4, NATIONALS 3 Mark Trumbo hit his major league-leading 38th home run, Jonathan Schoop also went deep and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Washington Nationals in a matchup between neighboring contenders. Rookie Dylan Bundy (7-4) pitched six innings of three-hit ball for the Orioles, who had lost five of their previous six games — all at home. The victory lifted Baltimore within two games of firstplace Toronto in the AL East. Bundy gave up two runs, walked four and struck out four. He’s 5-3 with a 3.56 ERA in eight games since joining the rotation July 17. Zach Britton worked a perfect ninth for his 38th save. The left-hander has not allowed an earned run in 43 games since May 5. The Orioles did all their scoring against A.J. Cole (0-1) in his season debut. Cole was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse to replace scheduled starter Stephen Strasburg, who was placed on the 15-day disabled.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
RED SOX 6, RAYS 2 David Price limited his old team to two hits in eight scoreless innings, helping the Boston Red Sox beat the Tampa Bay Rays to move into a tie for first place in the AL East. Price (12-8) walked two, struck out eight and didn’t allow a runner past first base while extending Tampa Bay’s scoring drought against Boston to 25 innings dating to a series at Fenway Park before the All-Star break. Evan Longoria stopped the streak with a two-run homer off Matt Barnes in the ninth. Blake Snell (4-6) allowed two runs and needed 94 pitches to get through 3 2/3 innings. The victory was the ninth in 11 games for the Red Sox and lifted them into a tie with Toronto, which was idle Monday.