The Los Angeles Dodgers held a 3-0 lead over the Cincinnati Reds after the first inning, extended it to 4-1 in the fifth but needed heroics from Corey Seager to come away with a win.
Following a Chase Utley leadoff single in the first, Seager’s line drive to left field was misplayed by Scooter Gennett. The ball carried over his head and the Dodgers were out to a 1-0 lead.
Adrian Gonzalez’s sacrifice fly extended it, and Cody Bellinger’s team-leading 13th home run capped off the Dodgers’ scoring in the opening frame.
Utley followed Yasiel Puig’s double with one of his own in the fifth inning. Josh Fields inherited two runners with two outs in the sixth and promptly gave up a game-tying home run.
The Dodgers bullpen managed to keep the Reds off the board from that point forward, setting the stage for a walk-off victory. Puig and pinch-hitter Justin Turner combined for back-to-back singles with one out in the ninth.
Tony Cingrani came on in relief, which prompted Dodgers manager Dave Roberts to pinch-hit Franklin Gutierrez for Utley. Gutierrez struck out swinging. One pitch later, Seager’s slicing fly ball to left field fell just out of Gennett’s diving attempt.
The double was Seager’s first career walk-off hit at any level. “It took me 20 years to finally get one,” he quipped after the game.
Alex Wood allowed three runs on five hits, and finished with seven strikeouts over 5.2 innings in his first start back from the 10-day disabled list. Two of the runs charged to Wood scored on the homer Fields allowed.
