Dodgers beat Reds, 3-1, behind Kazmir to complete series sweep

Scott Kazmir used the words “embarrassing” and “unacceptable” to describe last Friday night’s start, when the Dodgers left-hander gave up five runs in 52/3 innings and issued a career-high seven walks at San Diego.

The adjectives were far more flattering Wednesday night, when Kazmir carved up the woebegone Cincinnati Reds, giving up one run and four hits in six innings and striking out 12, one short of his career-high, in a 3-1 victory at Dodger Stadium.

“Dominant,” Manager Dave Roberts declared after the Dodgers swept a three-game series and extended Cincinnati’s losing streak to 10 games. “Unbelievable, electric,” added center fielder Joc Pederson, who provided a clutch two-out, two-run single in the fourth.

The Dodgers produced three hits Wednesday night — one was a solo homer by struggling catcher Yasmani Grandal in the fifth — but that’s all Kazmir and a pitch-perfect trio of relievers needed.

With pinpoint control of a fastball that sat between 92 and 94 mph and command of a slider and changeup, Kazmir (4-3) struck out the side in the second inning and whiffed two in each of the first, fourth and fifth innings.

Of his 91 pitches, 65 were strikes. Five Reds went down looking, a reflection of Kazmir’s ability to keep hitters off balance.

“With me, I don’t think the velocity or the stuff really matters,” Kazmir said. “It’s all about the deception. When I fall off to the third-base side, I open up, and the hitter can see ball more. If I stay closed, and everything is moving toward the plate, the ball jumps out of my hand, and it’s hard to pick up.”

Louis Coleman, Pedro Baez and Kenley Jansen threw one-two-three innings after Dodgers relievers retired all 10 batters they faced Tuesday night. The bullpen has given up two earned runs in its last 23 innings.

The Dodgers followed last week’s four-game losing streak with a four-game winning streak, giving them momentum entering a seven-game trip to New York and Chicago to play the Mets and Cubs, two of baseball’s best teams.

“It was good to play some clean baseball,” Roberts said. “That team over there is obviously struggling, but to take care of business is good.”

The Reds took a 1-0 lead in the fourth when Brandon Phillips flared a single to right and Jay Bruce ripped a drive to deep center field that Pederson leaped for but couldn’t catch before crashing into the wall.

Phillips scored easily, but Bruce was thrown out at the plate trying to stretch a triple into an inside-the-park home run, Dodgers left fielder Howie Kendrick, second baseman Chase Utley and Grandal combining on the relay.

“That was huge,” Kazmir said. “It brought momentum back to our side.”

Reds starter Dan Straily, who was traded by Houston, waived by San Diego and claimed by Cincinnati — all within a four-day span at the end of spring training — retired the first nine batters, six by strikeout.

But Utley singled to open the bottom of the fourth. Justin Turner was hit by a pitch and Adrian Gonzalez walked to load the bases with one out. Trayce Thompson struck out looking, but Pederson looped a two-run single to right for a 2-1 lead.

Grandal, who hit .094 (five for 53) with 19 strikeouts and two walks in his previous 15 games, pushed the lead to 3-1 when he led off the fifth with a homer to right on an 85-mph, 0-and-2 slider from Straily, who struck out 11 on another lost night for the Reds.

mike.digiovanna@latimes.com