The Los Angeles Dodgers pitchers struggled with their command and gave up three home runs as they dropped their third consecutive game with a 9-6 loss against the Cincinnati Reds.
James Paxton allowed a pair of walks to the first three batters to begin his game, and Spencer Steer capitalized on that with a three-run homer to put the Dodgers in a 3-0 hole early.
The Dodgers answered in the second inning with a walk from Teoscar Hernández and a single from Gavin Lux, with both runners moving into scoring position on a wild pitch. Chris Taylor then delivered with his first extra-base hit of the season, a two-run double to cut the deficit to one.
Andy Pages followed with a single, and Mookie Betts doubled to tie the game at 3-3. Shohei Ohtani then gave the Dodgers the lead with an RBI ground out.
Will Smith extended the Dodgers’ lead with a solo home run in the fifth, but it was all downhill from there.
Paxton allowed another home run, this time to Stuart Fairchild, in the fifth to make it a 5-4 game. Paxton’s day ended with another walk, this time to Steer.
Yohan Ramírez entered the game and could not find the strike zone, throwing 12 of his 13 pitches for balls. Ramírez walked the first two hitters he faced to load the bases, and on his final pitch of his outing, he hit Nick Martini with a pitch to tie the game, 5-5.
Alex Vesia replaced Ramírez with the bases still loaded, and like his previous teammates, he struggled to find the zone as well. Vesia’s first three pitches were balls, but he battled back to a 3-2 count.
However, the final pitch was a fastball up, left over the heart of the zone, and Jonathan India crushed it for a grand slam, giving the Reds a 9-5 lead to cap off a six-run fifth inning.
The Reds finished the game walking nine times.
The Dodgers scored again in the ninth when Hernández homered, but that was all they could muster up.
Dodgers look to get back on track
The Dodgers continue their series tomorrow against the Reds, looking to end their losing streak as they hand the ball to Walker Buehler. They’ll face Hunter Greene for the second time after he went 6.1 innings with two runs allowed his last time facing them.
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