SAN DIEGO -- It sure looked like Nick Lodolo was careening toward a rough Monday night on the mound. The Reds’ starting pitcher opened the second inning against the Padres with back-to-back walks and, at that point, had thrown almost as many balls (14) as strikes (16).

“That’s usually not a good recipe for success,” Lodolo said. “I kind of put myself in a situation there where it was sink or swim."

Lodolo certainly swam, and Padres hitters were left struggling in his wake.

The lefty struck out the side in the second inning, seven of his next eight batters and recorded 11 K's over seven innings during Cincinnati's 5-2 victory at Petco Park.

Lodolo, who retired his final 18 batters after the second-inning walks, finished with one run and one hit allowed while throwing 99 pitches.

“He’s nasty. I don’t want to face that guy," said shortstop Elly De La Cruz, who gave the Reds a 1-0 first-inning lead with a 443-foot home run to left-center field against Padres starter Matt Waldron.

Leading off against Lodolo in the bottom of the first, Jurickson Profar hit a game-tying homer to left field. It was the last hit Lodolo gave up in the game.

After the Reds took a 3-1 lead in the top of the second, Lodolo got himself into trouble in the bottom of the second by walking the first two batters, Xander Bogaerts and Ha-Seong Kim.

Pitching coach Derek Johnson visited the mound and had some directives for Lodolo.

“The message was basically to stay under control and basically follow through on his pitches," catcher Luke Maile said. "Something as simple as that gets those kinds of results shows what kind of pitcher he is and what he’s capable of.”

Said Lodolo: “I was just going too fast, which I could feel, too. Sometimes you need somebody else to tell you that. I kind of reset there. I found it, and the rest was pretty good.”

After a first-pitch ball to the next batter, Eguy Rosario, Lodolo got him and José Azocar to swing and miss the next six consecutive pitches. There were even three different varieties of pitches -- four-seam fastball, curveball and changeup.

“Especially as I got out of that inning, I knew I was spinning the ball well just from the beginning of the day,” Lodolo said. “So we definitely went to that to get out of that inning. That, with the fastball up. Got those two flying together. They couldn’t cheat to a single spot or look out over the plate because I was able to fly all four in a good spot.”

According to Statcast, Lodolo generated 53 swings and 22 whiffs. Only five pitchers this season have generated more whiffs. Being able to make a course correction and succeed made the outing even more satisfying.

“Absolutely. It takes an adjustment and to be a good pitcher,” Lodolo said. “That’s what you’ve got to do. When things at first aren’t flying the way you want, stay in it and trust that it will come back.”

Lodolo, 26, improved to 3-0 with a 1.88 ERA in four starts this season after beginning on the injured list with a left calf injury. He was limited to seven starts in 2023 -- none after May 6 of his second big league season -- because of a left tibia stress fracture.

"It’s not only important for Nick to be on the mound for our team and to help us win games, but also for his development," Reds manager David Bell said. "He hasn’t pitched a ton at the Major League level. Every time he goes out there, he’s going to learn something new.”

Although the Reds rotation is deep and having a decent season, there's been a difference with Lodolo back in it.

“It’s a huge difference," noted first baseman Jeimer Candelario, who snapped a 0-for-19 skid with two hits. "I’m telling you, he’s an ace. Seeing him take care of business, throwing the ball the right way, being quiet doing his thing, it’s impressive."

Lodolo dodged the ace question as astutely as the danger he faced in the second inning.

“At the end of the day, I’m just trying to go out there and give us a good start and put us in a position to win,” Lodolo said. “Every single guy on this team can do that. …

"Would I consider myself the ace of the team? No. I think we’re all, honestly, aces. I think every single day that we run out there, we have a good chance to win the ballgame.”