The Los Angeles Dodgers saw some improvement in timely hitting but it was not enough to avoid a 6-5 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. L.A. has dropped three games in a row for the first time since Aug. 29-31, 2019, and lost consecutive series for the first time since April 2019.
The night began in deflating fashion for Walker Buehler as his first pitch of the game was hit by Jesse Winker into the Home Run Seats in right-center field. Buehler did settle in from there, retiring the next nine batters faced.
That stretch was snapped by Nick Castellanos’ leadoff double in the firth inning, and though a walk put another runner on with nobody out, Buehler got through the jam unscathed. He wasn’t as fortunate in the fifth inning when a hit by pitch and double led to the Reds scoring two runs.
Winker was part of that, tying the game by again attacking the first pitch he saw and hitting an RBI single.
Cincinnati answering right back took some momentum from the Dodgers after they had jumped ahead on Will Smith’s three-run home run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Prior to that Smith had been 3-for-28 this season with runners on base.
Just as the Reds took advantage of a hit by pitch, the Dodgers followed suit in the bottom of the sixth when Jose De Leon got Smith with a curveball. Chris Taylor’s double put two in scoring position, and Matt Beaty prevented the opportunity from being squandered by getting a two-run single past a drawn-in infield with two outs.
That improved Beaty to 2-for-4 with two walks and two hit by pitch since being recalled from the alternate training site.
The Reds again immediately responded, with Tucker Barnhart’s leadoff double followed by an RBI single from Kyle Farmer. Buehler struck out the next batter faced to give him a season-high 10 on the night, then gave way to Scott Alexander.
Justin Turner made a terrific diving play at shortstop as part of a shift, but Alexander later gave up a go-ahead two-run double to Joey Votto in what held as the game-winning hit.
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