Reds Get Fast Start, Beat Dodgers, 6-2

Cincinnati right fielder Paul O’Neill re-established his role as a Dodger nemesis Friday night, adding a unique defensive play as a new twist.

A Dodger Stadium crowd of 31,976 saw the Reds regain a 4 1/2-game lead over the Dodgers in the National League West with a 6-2 victory.

O’Neill homered, doubled and singled, driving in three runs. Although restricted to two hits in 14 previous at-bats against the Dodgers this season, O’Neill now has career totals of 17 homers and 56 runs batted in 287 at-bats against them, which converts to 98 RBI and 38 homers in a 500-at-bat season.

This time, O’Neill also frustrated the Dodgers with some quick thinking in the outfield.

He raced into right-center field to cut off Mike Scioscia’s potential extra-base hit with one out in the sixth. Then, with his momentum carrying him toward the warning track, O’Neill flipped the ball out of his glove to center fielder Dave Martinez, crossing in front of him.

The left-handed Martinez stopped, wheeled, and nailed the lumbering Scioscia sliding into second on a play scored 9-8-6 that ended a potential Dodger rally.

Dave Hansen followed with a single that was wasted, not unusual on a night during which the Dodgers stranded eight in the first six innings and 11 in all.

The Dodgers were retired in order only once, but Jose Rijo (2-4), still searching for consistency after sitting out three weeks because of an elbow inflammation, struck out eight in six innings before Norm Charlton and Rob Dibble preserved the victory.

Dibble had a 6-0 lead with two out in the ninth when Mike Sharperson got a two-run gift double on a fly that fell between Martinez and Reggie Sanders in left-center field. Kal Daniels walked, but Eric Karros, who had already struck out three times while stranding six runners, grounded into a force play to end it.

The Reds, who have won 11 of their last 15 games and nine of 11, got 14 hits, nine against Kevin Gross (3-5) during his seven-inning stint.

The Dodgers wasted a series of opportunities in the early innings.

--Lenny Harris and Daniels singled consecutively with one out in the first, but Karros flied to left and Todd Benzinger struck out.

--After Brett Butler bunted safely with one out in the third, Harris singled again, but Daniels grounded out and Karros struck out.

--There were two out in the fourth when Hansen reached base on a Chris Sabo error and went to third on a double into the right field corner by Jose Offerman, but Rijo struck out Gross.

--Butler walked to open the fifth, but Harris grounded into a force play and both Daniels and Karros were called out on strikes, the fifth and sixth runners Karros had stranded after coming in with a .333 average and seven runs batted in his last nine games.

The Dodgers trailed by only 3-0 through five, but the Reds increased their lead to 5-0 during the sixth when O’Neill hit his seventh homer of the season, Sabo doubled and Billy Hatcher looped a single to right to score Sabo.

Gross had been the Dodgers’ most effective pitcher recently, striking out 40 and giving up only five earned runs in the 30 innings of his last four starts, but he was in trouble early in this one.

Martinez and Barry Larkin singled with one out during the first. O’Neill then drove a fly to left on which Daniels made a hesitant pursuit and vain reach. The ball sailed beyond him for a two-run double, and O’Neill then scored on a two-out single by Hal Morris.

Rijo maintained that lead through those series of early threats, turned away another with the help of O’Neill’s unique assist in the sixth and came out for a pinch-hitter in the seventh, leaving Charlton and Dibble to wrap it up.