Dodgers 4, Reds 3: Hyun-Jin Ryu carried a perfect game into the eighth inning and drove in a run as host Los Angeles held on to defeat Cincinnati in the opener of a three-game set.

Ryu (5-2) struck out seven and retired the first 21 batters he faced until Todd Frazier lined a double to left to end the left-hander’s bid to become the second pitcher in franchise history and 24th player in major-league history to throw a perfect game. Carl Crawford hit a two-run double to support Ryu’s gem for the Dodgers, who saw Josh Beckett throw the team’s 21st no-hitter one day earlier against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Ryu departed after giving up two more hits and Chris Heisey’s sacrifice fly, but was charged with two more runs when Brian Wilson surrendered Billy Hamilton’s two-run double in the eighth. Ryan Ludwick and Brayan Pena each singled and scored as the Reds dropped their third straight contest.

Los Angeles tallied one of its three unearned runs in the third when Drew Butera singled off Johnny Cueto (4-4), moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Ryu and scored when Frazier could not backhand Dee Gordon’s sharp grounder near first. Justin Turner opened the seventh with a 16-pitch walk and made it 2-0 three batters later when shortstop Zack Cozart was unable to make a play on Ryu's grounder.

Reliever Manny Parra retired Gordon, but Crawford stroked a two-run double to the gap in left-center off the southpaw to double the advantage before Cincinnati threatened to take the lead against Wilson, who recorded only one out and left runners on first and second with two outs in the eighth. Kenley Jansen struck out Brandon Phillips to end the threat and worked around a two-out single and a passed ball in the ninth for his 15th save.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Ryu improved to 6-0 with a 2.23 ERA in six career starts against National League Central opponents. … Cueto allowed four runs (one earned) on four hits and two walks over 6 1/3 innings, losing for the third time this season when he yielded two or fewer earned runs. … Frazier’s double to lead off the eighth ended a streak in which Dodger pitchers had not allowed a hit to 56 consecutive batters.