Michael Grove faced a deficit three pitches into Sunday’s game, and it was an unfortunate sign of things to come for the Los Angeles Dodgers in their 9-0 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. Since returning home from an encouraging 6-3 road trip, the Dodgers have now lost back-to-back series to the Toronto Blue Jays and Reds.
One of their two wins in those six games came in extra innings after an improbable rally, and the other thanks to Max Muncy making history with his homers being the Dodgers’ only hits.
Grove set career highs with 96 pitches and 10 strikeouts, and got through six innings, but there were merely a footprint as he largely struggled.
The Reds took a 3-0 lead five batters into the game, added onto it when Elly De La Cruz hit a home run in the second inning, and broke the game open in the third behind homers from Matt McLain and Joey Votto.
Votto would have had a second home run in the game if not for James Outman making a leaping catch to rob him at the wall in right-center field.
Cincinnati scored an eighth run off Grove in the sixth inning.
Dodgers starting rotation makes history
With Grove’s outing now accounted for, the Dodgers starting rotation finished the month of July with a 6.18 ERA. It’s their worst mark for any month (minimum 15 games) in Los Angeles franchise history, and second-worst since ERA became an official stat in 1912.
Only the 1944 Brooklyn team had a worse monthly ERA in Dodgers franchise history, with a 7.31 mark during World War II.
Miguel Rojas pitches
After using Ryan Brasier and Alex Vesia for one inning each, the Dodgers turned to Miguel Rojas in the ninth of their lopsided game. The pitching appearance was Rojas’ first of his career and somewhat reminiscent of the role Hanser Alberto filled at times last season, but the majority of those were in games Dodgers had a comfortable lead in.
Rojas allowed one run in his inning of work.
Dodgers injuries
Prior to the completion of their shutout loss, the Dodgers saw J.D. Martinez (left hamstring tightness) and Will Smith (left elbow contusion) leave early due to respective injuries.
Martinez was pinch-hit for prior to taking a single at-bat, and Smith was hit by a pitch in his only plate appearance.
Streaking on Sundays
In a strange scheduling quirk, the Dodgers have now lost 10 games in a row when playing on Sunday.
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