The Los Angeles Dodgers picked up another Cactus League win on Tuesday, defeating the Cincinnati Reds behind a six-run outburst in the fourth inning. Rich Hill’s final line was somewhat unconventional — 3.2 innings pitched with one run allowed, one hit, three walks and three strikeouts.
He was removed in fourth inning after issuing a two-out walk followed by an errant pickoff attempt and RBI single. Luis Avilan entered in relief and struck out former Dodgers prospect Scott Schebler to end the inning.
The Dodgers had managed just two hits off Tim Adleman through the first three innings. They exceeded that total in the fourth inning alone, and took advantage of a Reds error.
After Yasiel Puig drew a leadoff walk, Yasmani Grandal connected for a two-run home run to give the Dodgers the lead. A Franklin Gutierrez base hit, Chris Taylor infield single and Darnell Sweeney walk loaded the bases with one out.
Evan Mitchell replaced Adleman and was let down by his defense, as Joey Votto’s throwing error allowed two runs to score. Logan Forsythe hit a two-run double, and the Dodgers held a 6-1 lead before Mitchell could end the inning.
Kenley Jansen issued a leadoff walk in the fifth and later allowed a pair of consecutive singles, with the second being a Jose Peraza RBI base hit. Jansen gave up another set of base hits before recording the second out of the inning. He was replaced by Steve Geltz, who struck out Votto looking.
The Dodgers loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the fifth but failed to extend their lead as Jose Miguel Fernandez grounded into an inning-ending double play. Geltz retired the two batters he faced in the sixth, then gave way to Madison Younginer.
The right-hander induced Schebler into a groundout to end the inning. Willie Calhoun reached on an error to start the bottom of the sixth and moved into scoring position on a passed ball. Former Dodgers reliever Louis Coleman then proceeded to retire Tyler Holt, Brett Eibner and Brendon Davis, and the Dodgers’ lead remained 6-2.
Josh Fields’ inconsistency surfaced once again in the eighth inning. He issued a leadoff walk but bounced back to retire the next two batters faced. After an Aristides Aquino double put a pair of runners in scoring position, Gabriel Guerrero’s two-run single knocked Fields out of the game.
Wilmer Font ended the inning, but the Dodgers’ lead was cut in half at that point. Reinier Roibal issued back-to-back two-out walks and was replaced by Colt Hynes, who gave up an RBI single prior to earning a save in the Dodgers’ 6-5 victory.
