CINCINNATI _ As he warmed up on Friday evening, Los Angeles Dodgers starter Bud Norris noticed a chunk of clay missing from the mound. The grounds crew at Great American Ball Park fixed the surface, but Norris never found his footing in a 9-2 loss to the Reds.
In his return from the disabled list, Norris could not complete the fourth inning. Cincinnati taxed him for six runs. Manager Dave Roberts saw his lack of comfort from the outset, and Norris admitted the conditions affected him.
"I never really got comfortable," Norris said. "But that's not really an excuse. You've got to go out there and play the game."
Norris was not the only Dodgers pitcher to falter Friday. In the seventh, Pedro Baez served up a three-run homer to fellow pitcher Michael Lorenzen.
Norris allowed the first three batters of the game to reach. The third was Reds slugger Joey Votto, who hit a three-run homer. In the fourth, Norris gave up a two-run single to Cincinnati starting pitcher Tim Adleman and walked Votto with the bases loaded.
"That fourth inning got away from him," Roberts said.
