Rhett Lowder, Reds send Athletics to another series defeat

Rhett Lowder allowed just two runs in six innings and Matt McLain homered, leading the host Cincinnati Reds to a 3-2 win over the Athletics on Wednesday.

Lowder (4-7) snapped a personal six-game losing streak and earned a win for the first time since April 20 at Tampa Bay, a span of 11 starts and three relief appearances. He yielded four hits and two walks while striking out three.

Reds relievers Brock Burke and Tejay Antone combined for two scoreless innings before Emilio Pagan pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his 13th save in 16 chances. Cincinnati won its third game in a row.

Athletics starter Jacob Lopez allowed just two runs on four hits over five innings, striking out nine and walking one. The A's lost their seventh straight game and dropped their 12th consecutive series, having fallen in the first two contests of a three-game series. The Athletics are 5-27 since June 27.

Cincinnati took the lead for good in the bottom of the sixth against reliever Hayden Juenger (0-1). Sal Stewart and Dane Myers opened the frame with singles, and Stewart then came home easily on Noelvi Marte's deep sacrifice fly to right.

On the game's sixth pitch, Lowder left a sinker over the middle of the plate and Lawrence Butler socked his eighth career leadoff homer, giving the Athletics a 1-0 lead.

Lowder settled down after that, allowing only one more hit and a walk over the first five innings.

Cincinnati pulled even in the second when Marte singled, stole second and scored on Jose Trevino's two-out base hit to left.

With two outs in the fourth, McLain took a cut fastball on the outside corner and went with it to the opposite field. The ball landed on top of the wall and caromed into the stands for his ninth homer of the season, and his first since June 7, when he hit two at St. Louis.

After the McLain homer put Cincinnati ahead 2-1, the A's tied it in the sixth when Tyler Soderstrom singled with one out and Jonah Heim hit an RBI double to right.