fbpx

Dodgers Highlights: Will Smith, Gavin Lux & Corey Seager Hit Home Runs Vs. Reds

Matthew Moreno
3 Min Read
David Kohl/USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Dodgers made up for missed opportunities at Great American Ball Park as Will Smith, Gavin Lux and Corey Seager each hit a home run to help get an 8-5 win against the Cincinnati Reds in the rubber match.

After two consecutive games without a homer at the hitter-friendly ballpark, Smith changed that with a solo blast off Wade Miley in the second inning. After a Chris Taylor base hit, Lux slugged a two-run homer that extended the Dodgers’ lead to 3-0.

Miley’s troubles continued in the third inning when an Albert Pujols walk set the table for Seager to hit a two-run home run. Taylor and Lux then added to their days with a double and RBI single, respectively.

Lux now is 11-for-24 with one double, one triple, one home run and eight RBI getting recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City on Sept. 10.

The Dodgers largely went quiet after back-to-back innings with three runs, but the early lead was more than enough for Clayton Kershaw and the bullpen also made it stand after allowing the Reds back into the game.

Kershaw didn’t face much trouble in his outing as he held the Reds to two hits and collected eight strikeouts over five innings. One-out singles in the second and third innings were stranded both times.

Nick Castellanos’ double in the fourth wound up leading to a run as he advanced to third base on a wild pitch and scored when Tyler Stephenson grounded out.

Kershaw retired the final five batters faced, and on top of the results, success was achieved by stretching his pitch count to 74.

Relegated to a bullpen role for the current turn through the rotation, Tony Gonsolin’s first pitch was hit for a leadoff home run in the sixth inning. Gonsolin later allowed a second run before giving way to Blake Treinen.

L.A. responded with two runs in the ninth which were key as Kenley Jansen surrendered a solo home run before finishing out the game.

Dodgers inch closer

The Dodgers’ win, coupled with the San Francisco Giants falling to the Atlanta Braves, pulled them to one game back of first place in the National League West standings.

Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and more!

Matthew Moreno is a journalist from Whittier, Calif., who is a credentialed reporter and is currently the Managing Editor of DodgerBlue.com and LakersNation.com. In addition to covering Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angels Lakers, Matthew has a strong passion for keeping up to date with the sneakerhead culture. It began with Michael Jordan and Air Jordan shoes, and has carried over to Kobe Bryant's signature line with Nike. Matthew previously was the lead editor and digital strategist at Dodgers Nation, and the co-editor and lead writer at Reign of Troy, where he covered USC Trojans Football. Matthew graduated from California State Long Beach University with a major in journalism and minor in communications. Contact: matt@mediumlargela.com