Holt knuckles down, pitches 1-2-3 ninth

CINCINNATI — Sometimes baseball can be a nutty game, indeed. In a blowout game on Monday between the Reds and Dodgers that had no shortage of scoring, it took an outfielder to have the best inning pitched.

Summoned to pitch the ninth inning of Cincinnati’s 18-9 loss, reserve outfielder Tyler Holt retired the side in order — using five pitches. It was the first time the Reds used a position player to pitch since Skip Schumaker did it in an 8-0 loss to the Braves on Aug. 21, 2014.

“Some guys can say it’s easy, but when you’re throwing 68 [mph] and those guys are throwing 98 [mph], obviously the hitters aren’t used to that,” Holt said. “It was 1-2-3, but let’s be real.”

Holt pinch-hit for reliever Michael Lorenzen in the bottom of the eighth with no activity in the Reds’ bullpen. Obviously, Holt never hoped for a bad loss for his team, but the 27-year-old had been itching to pitch — if needed. He took the mound before the Dodgers even came off the field after the third out of the eighth.

“I had trouble taking my at-bat seriously,” said Holt, who flied out. “Unfortunately I had to go in, but not a lot of guys can say they pitched in a Major …

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