On a warm Monday evening at Dodger Stadium, with 50,293 fans on hand and the temperature hovering near 85 degrees, the Dodgers opened their pivotal stretch against the Cincinnati Reds with a 6-3 comeback win, overcoming an early deficit and a shaky start from a hastily summoned rookie right-hander.
Elly De La Cruz wasted little time setting the tone, sending a first-inning pitch out of the park to give the Reds a 1-0 lead over Emmet Sheehan, the Dodgers’ emergency starter recalled from Triple-A. For the next several innings, Chase Burns matched Sheehan’s uneven outing with dominant stuff of his own, striking out the side in order more than once and keeping the Dodgers’ lineup — Shohei Ohtani included — largely off balance. Ohtani, back in the lineup after a stretch on the sidelines, flew out in the first and struck out in the third, part of a quiet night at the plate that included a seventh-inning walk but little else.
The Dodgers’ fortunes turned in the fifth. Teoscar Hernandez opened with a single and stole second after Kyle Tucker struck out. Alex Call was hit by a pitch, and Miguel Rojas, pinch-hitting, chopped a ball that should have been an inning-ending groundout. Instead, a errant throw to first glanced off Sal Stewart’s glove, and by the time the dust settled, Hernandez had scored and Rojas had raced all the way to third. The Dodgers led, 2-1.
Cincinnati threatened to answer immediately, loading the bases in the sixth on singles by Carlos Jorge and Hector Rodriguez and a walk to Stewart. Manager Dave Roberts turned to left-hander Alex Vescia, who got JJ Bleday to strike out looking and stranded the runners.
The Dodgers broke the game open in the bottom half. Freddie Freeman walked, and after Tommy Edman flew out and Max Muncy struck out — Freeman stealing second in the process — Hernandez sent a three-run homer into the left-field bleachers, his second big swing of the night, to make it 5-1.
Cincinnati clawed back with solo shots and small-ball runs off the Dodgers’ bullpen — Eugenio Suarez went deep in the seventh, and a fielder’s choice in the eighth trimmed the margin to 5-3 — but Los Angeles answered in the bottom of the eighth. An error by Ke’Bryan Hayes put Edman aboard, Muncy doubled him to third, and after Hernandez was walked intentionally, Tucker’s single set up a bases-loaded sacrifice fly from pinch-hitter Will Smith that pushed the lead back to three.
Evan Phillips worked a clean ninth, striking out the side around a walk, to secure the win and hand the Reds their latest setback in a fading playoff push. The result also offered a measure of vindication for Roberts, whose pregame message had centered on patience — with his bullpen, his spot starter and, most of all, with Ohtani, who continues working his way back to form even as the lineup around him carried the load.
Here’s how we blogged it:
FIRST INNING
Top
Hector Rodriguez returns to the dugout after three pitches.
Elly De La Cruz (no relation) sends the next pitch out of the park.
Sal Stewart is totally strickened out.
JJ Bleday flies out to deeeeep left field.
Reds 1, Dodgers coming up.
Bottom
Shohei Ohtani flies out on the first pitch he sees.
Freddie Freeman (no relation) loses a race to first.
Edman grounds out to first.
Reds 1, Dodgers 0.
SECOND INNING
Top
Tyler Stephenson be at 1-2. He flies out to Edman.
Eugenio Suarez is at 2-1. Back he goes to the dugout.
Matt McLain is at 2-1. 2-2. And that be that.
Reds 1, Dodgers, 0.
Bottom
Max Muncy stands at 2-1. He is Walking on Sunshine.
Teoscar (no relation) Hernandez totally strikes all of the way out.
Kyle Tucker flies out.
Hunter Feduccia strikes out.
Reds 1, Dodgers 0.
THIRD INNING
Top
Carlos Jorge out at first.
Ke’Bryan Hayes looks at 0-2. 1-2. Bye-Bye.
Hector Rodriguez is at 2-2. Still. He gets thrown out on a Highlight Reel catch from Edman.
Reds 1, Dodgers 0.
Bottom
Alex Call called out on strikes, three of them.
Alex (no relation) Freeland does the same.
Shohei strikes out, along with those other two guys.
Reds 1, Dodgers 0.
FOURTH INNING
Top
De la Cruz strikes out.
Stewart flies out to center.
Bleday be at 2-2. He strikes out.
Reds 1, Dodgers 0.
Bottom
Freeman grounds out to first.
Edman loses a race to that same previously mentioned base.
Muncy flies out to left.
Reds 1, Dodgers 0.
FIFTH INNING
Top
Stephenson is done.
Suarez sends a fly ball moonward, but is still out at first.
McLain is way out at first.
Reds 1, Dodgers 0.
Bottom
Hernandez, Teoscar, singles.
Tucker is at 0-1. 1-1. He strikes out, and Hernandez steals second.
Feduccia heads back to the dugout.
Call gets the, well, call. Hit by a pitch, he heads to first.
Miggy Rojas is in to pinch hit. He turns a likely out at first into a triple, as a bad throw to first bounces off Stewart’S glove, as Hernandez takes off , chased by Call and Rojas around the bases.
Dodgers 2, Reds 1.
SIXTH INNING
Top
Jorge Carlos singles.
Hayes is at 0-2. He’s mowing the air, Randy!
Rodriguez singles, moving Carlos to third, como un rocket.
De La Cruz, he of the first inning home run, is at 1-2. Down he goes.
Stewart is at 1-0, now 3-0. Sheehan walks him. Bases are loaded. Chat show on the mound. Alex Vescia comes in to pitch for Sheehan.
JJ Bleday goes down, not swinging.
Dodgers 2, Reds 1.
Bottom
Freeman walks.
Edman flies out to deep center.
Muncy is at 3-2, and strikes out as Freeman steals second. No charges filed.
Teoscar homers to deep left, scoring himself, Muncy and Freeman.
Feduccia quietly strikes out.
Dodgers 5, Reds 1.
SEVENTH INNING
Top
Seth Halvorsen now pitching for the Dodgers.
Stephenson flies out.
Suarez sends one into the bleachers.
Matt McLain flies out.
Jorge is safe at first after a call challenge.
Bryant is out at first.
Dodgers 5, Reds 2.
Bottom
Ohtani walks over to first base. Right over there. To my right. There.
Sssshhh…Dodgers go really quietly in the bottom of the 7th.
Dodgers 5, Reds 2.
EIGHTH INNING
Top
Rodriguez and De La Cruz both single.
Stewart strikes out.
Dane Myers pitch hitting. His count be full. Myers is out at first, but Rodriguez crosses the plate.
Stephenson is at 3-1. Make that 3-2. He flies out.
Dodgers 5, Reds 3.
Bottom
Edman beats a throw to first after a fielding hiccup by Hayes.
Muncy doubles to deep right, delivering Edman to third.
Teoscar gets intentionally walked.
Tucker singles and Muncy is shot down racing for home.
Bases are loaded for Los Doyers. Will Smith is now pinch hitting.
Smith sacrifices in short center, scoring another run.
Call flies out to short left.
Dodgers 6, Reds 3.
NINTH INNING
Top
Evan Phillips now pitching for the Dodgers.
Suarez strikes out.
Jorge strikes out.
Matt McLain is at 0-2. 1-2. Bye-bye.
Final: Dodgers 6, Reds 3.
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