The Los Angeles Dodgers put together a strong offensive showing against the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday, winning by a score of 14-1.
The Dodgers, after losing the first two games of their nine-game homestand to the St. Louis Cardinals, stormed back to win the final seven contests, taking back the No. 2 playoff seed from the NL East’s Atlanta Braves.
Yamamoto Tosses Yet Another Gem
Yoshinobu Yamamoto got the ball for the Dodgers to start the game, hurling seven innings of one-run baseball on just three hits while striking out 10 batters, which matches his season-high.
Yamamoto has been lights out for the Dodgers over the past couple of months, performing at an incredibly high level since the All-Star break. Through his nine starts after the break, Yamamoto has seven quality starts—the only exceptions being a shutout effort which only lasted 5.2 innings and his last start against the Cardinals, during which he allowed four earned runs through seven innings in an extra-innings loss.
Additionally, the right-hander has eight or more strikeouts in each of his last five starts. He has a 2.19 ERA after the All-Star break, striking out 65 batters during that stretch
Dodgers’ Offense Runs Wild
The Dodgers didn’t have Shohei Ohtani in the lineup for the sixth time in their last seven games, but didn’t let the absence of the reigning NL MVP stop them from putting on an offensive masterclass.
The Dodgers scored first in the bottom of the second inning, capitalizing on back-to-back singles from Teoscar Hernandez and Kyle Tucker to lead off the inning. Hunter Feduccia reached via fielders choice to load the bases, and Alex Freeland brought home Hernandez, though he grounded into a double play in the process.
Mookie Betts tagged Reds starter Rhett Lowder for a couple more runs in the following inning, as he continued his terrific run of form with a two-run homer. Betts has multiple hits in three of his last five games, and has scored a run in all eight of his games so far this month.
Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz continued crushing Dodgers pitching in the final game of their three-game series in LA, hitting a home run in the top of the fourth to pull one back. The All-Star homered in all three games of the series, and has a bomb in each of his last five games.
Monster 4th Inning Puts Game Well Out of Reach
LA didn’t allow the Reds back into the game, though, exploding for six runs in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Tucker led off the inning with a double, followed by a Fedducia walk to put runners on first and second. September call-up Alex Freeland hit a double to bring Tucker home, and Kiké Hernandez brought both players home with a double.
Kiké Hernandez advanced to third on a Tommy Edman groundout, and a wild pitch from Luis Mey brought him around to score. Teoscar Hernandez plated the final two runs of the inning with a two-run single, giving the Dodgers a 9-1 lead by the end of the inning.
Dodgers Keep Adding On
They didn’t stop piling on after the fourth, though, as Max Muncy joined the party with a two-run shot in the sixth inning. Betts found himself involved yet again in the sixth, singling to set the table for the veteran third baseman.
Kiké Hernandez added onto his monster night in the seventh inning, hitting a two-run homer—his second extra-base hit of the evening—down the third base line and into the seats in left field. Alex Freeland walked to lead off the inning, giving the fan favorite an opportunity to make some noise at the plate.
The Reds waved the white flag in the bottom of the eighth, putting catcher Jose Trevino on the mound, and the Dodgers tagged him for another run through a Kyle Tucker home run.
Seth Halvorsen came in for the ninth inning for the Dodgers, and secured the win without any issue.
Back on the Road
The Dodgers will hope their momentum stays with them during their off day Thursday, after which they will play a series against the Miami Marlins on the East Coast. After that, they head to Ohio for a three-game rematch against the Cincinnati Reds to close their six-game road trip.
LA is yet to announce a starter for the first game of their series against the Marlins, but Snell will likely take the mound and look to get the Dodgers off of the right foot in that series. Friday’s game begins at 4:10 p.m. PT.
