Tarik Skubal, Dodgers shut down Reds to extend winning streak

Sep 09 (Field Level Media) - Tarik Skubal pitched into the eighth inning, Will Smith hit his first ​home run since May and the Los Angeles Dodgers increased their winning streak to six games with a 3-2 victory over the visiting Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday.

Teoscar ‌Hernandez continued his hot run with a go-ahead single in the fifth inning as the Dodgers (88-57) remained 1 1/2 games ⁠behind the Milwaukee Brewers (90-56) in the battle ​for the best record in the major ⁠leagues.

In his seventh start since joining the Dodgers from the Detroit Tigers at the trade ‌deadline, Skubal (9-7) gave up ‌two runs on four hits over 7 1/3 innings with two walks and ⁠five strikeouts.

Los Angeles played for the fifth time in ⁠the past six games without designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, who is working his way through left knee and right biceps discomfort.

Elly De La Cruz hit a mammoth home run and threw out a runner at home plate from shallow center field but could not prevent the Reds (69-76) from falling to 0-2 at the start of a six-game road ‌trip. De La Cruz has socked home runs in four ​consecutive games and is batting .455 since Aug. 22.

Reds left-hander Nick Lodolo (3-4), a Los Angeles-area native, gave up three runs on five hits over 4 2/3 innings with six strikeouts and three walks.

The Dodgers took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Smith hit a two-out home run, his seventh.

Los Angeles loaded the bases against Lodolo in the second inning and made it 2-0 when Tommy Edman was hit by a pitch.

The ​Reds tied it 2-2 in the third when De La Cruz crushed a 444-foot home run to left ‌field off Skubal, ‌his 25th of ⁠the season to match his career high.

Los Angeles nearly grabbed the lead in the bottom of the third but Hernandez's bid for an inside-the-park home run was cut short when De La Cruz made a perfect throw to home from shallow center field.

The Dodgers regained the lead ‌in the fifth inning when ​Mookie Betts walked, Smith was hit by a pitch ‌and Hernandez hit a ⁠single to right-center to ​score the go-ahead run.

Tanner Scott pitched the ninth inning for Los Angeles to earn his 22nd save.

(--Field ​Level Media)

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