CINCINNATI, Ohio – First baseman Joey Votto is batting third in the Reds’ lineup for tonight’s game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Votto has not played since going on the disabled list on May 21 with a quadriceps strain in his left knee, the same knee on which he had two surgical procedures in 2012. The Reds are 11-12 without the 2010 NL MVP, who is hitting .257 with six home runs and 12 RBIs in 39 games.
Josh Beckett allowed two hits in six shutout innings and four Dodgers had two hits each as Los Angeles beat the Reds 6-1 Tuesday night in a game delayed more than 2 hours by rain.
Yasiel Puig, Adrian Gonzalez, Andre Ethier and Justin Turner led the Los Angeles offense with two hits apiece. Beckett got into the act with a single of his own for the Dodgers, who have won three straight and four of five.
Beckett (4-3), who had endured two consecutive 2-1 losses since his no-hitter in Philadelphia on May 25, finished with seven strikeouts and one walk. He also hit a batter with a pitch.
Mike Leake, reached for a season-high five runs in his previous start Thursday against San Francisco, allowed five more and a season-high nine hits in 5 1-3 innings. Leake (3-6), who lost seven games last season, had seven strikeouts and one walk.