Julio Urías and Hunter Greene engaged in a pitcher’s duel that swung in favor of the Los Angeles Dodgers when Trea Turner slugged a two-run home run to lead the way in a 5-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds.
Turner had already extended his career-best hitting streak to 27 games with an infield single in the first inning, then struck out swinging on a hanging slider in the third inning to strand Cody Bellinger.
After Austin Barnes led off the bottom of the sixth with a single, Turner sat fastball and turned around 99 mph for what proved to be a game-winning home run. Turner’s blast into the left field pavilion had a 103.8 mph exit velocity.
Bellinger and Turner each had two hits off Greene, and Barnes was responsible for the only other the Dodgers could muster off the impressive rookie. Greene went into the start looking forward to facing his hometown team at Dodger Stadium.
Chris Taylor added a two-run single off Buck Farmer before the Reds could get through the sixth inning.
Urías fell shy of matching Greene in length, but still finished with five strikeouts over five scoreless innings. Urías fastball velocity averaged 92-93 mph, which was still down from last season, but a tick above his 2022 debut.
More encouraging was he had improved command, which Urías said he was focused on rather than velocity after struggling against the Colorado Rockies. The Reds didn’t collect a hit until Tyler Stephenson lined a one-hopper that got by Max Muncy at second base.
Evan Phillips, David Price and Mitch White combined to pitch four innings out of the Dodgers bullpen. Phillips’ fastball got up to 98 mph, and Price struck out two en route to retiring the side in order in the seventh, White struck out three in a row after a leadoff single in the eighth but then ran into trouble.
The Reds started the ninth inning with a leadoff walk and base hit, and both baserunners came around to score. That required Daniel Hudson to enter the game and convert the save opportunity.
Longest Dodgers hitting streaks
Turner continues to make progress on catching Willie Davis for the longest hitting streak in L.A. Dodgers franchise history at 33 games, which he set in 1969. Only Andre Ethier (30 games) is between Turner and Davis on the longest Dodgers hitting streaks since 1958.
Paul Lo Duca (2003), Steve Sax (1986) and Davis (1971) each had 25-game hitting streaks with the Dodgers.
“I think steady is a good way to put it,” Roberts said of Turner on Friday night. “I didn’t realize that hitting streak. Wow, it’s pretty impressive. It does seem like he’s always doing something every night to help us win a baseball game; whether it be with the bat or playing defense.
“It is nice when you can run and create some hits too. I just think he’s doing a nice job of staying above water. He has a nice hitting streak going on, but when he gets hot it’s going to be real fun.”
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