Making the third start of his young career, Reds rookie pitcher Keyvius Sampson was strong in his outing against the Dodgers on Thursday. The 24-year-old allowed two runs on five hits over five innings. He walked three and struck out three in the 10-3 victory.
Sampson (2-1, 3.18 ERA) needed 96 pitches (50 strikes) to get through the fifth. But he did a good job of limiting the damage, while facing a potent Dodgers lineup.
He blanked the Dodgers through the first three innings, but served up a solo home run to Joc Pederson in the fourth inning. He then gave up another run in the fifth, but the Reds had given him a sizeable lead to work with.
The young Sampson has looked impressive over his first three starts, holding his own against three very tough teams.