Dodgers win series finale against Reds

Reds: It’s not a save situation, so Kenley Jansen sits back down and Garrett Cleavinger comes in to pitch the ninth. Votto grounded to first. Suarez struck out looking. Moustakas beat the shift on a check-swing single to left. Stephenson lined a ball off Cleavinger, it ricocheted to his right and Stephenson beat the throw by an eyelash. Cleavinger is being replaced by Dennis Santana, but he didn’t appear to be injured. It hit him in the right triceps area. Blandino struck out swinging.

Final score: Dodgers 8, Reds 0

Reds: Blake Treinen is now pitching for the Dodgers. Tucker Barnhart, batting for Farmer, struck out swinging. Tyler Naquin, batting for the pitcher, was hit by a pitch. Senzel, who has three hits today, singled to right, Naquin to third. Here we go again. Winker struck out swinging. Huge out. Castellano struck out swinging. Nice pitching by Treinen. And you know what those strikeouts mean: Free Jumbo Jacks throughout the land!

Dodgers: Sal Romano now pitching for the Reds. Naquin in at center. Senzel moves to second base. Lux flied to center. Kenley Jansen is throwing in the Dodger bullpen. Turner walked. Muncy flied to center. Taylor tripled to deep right, scoring Turner. Pollock singled to left, scoring Taylor. With the count 2-0 on Raley, Pollock stole second, so the Reds decided to walk Raley intentionally. Barnes walked, loading the bases.

Matt Beaty hit for Treinen and hit a liner to left. Winker made a diving attempt but couldn’t hang on. Beaty gets a single and two RBIs, taking second on the throw home. Second and third, two out. Betts singled to center, scoring both runners, Betts taking second on the throw home. Lux walked. Alex Blandino now pitching for the Reds. Blandino is an infielder by trade. Turner flied to right.

Score after eight innings: Dodgers 8, Reds 0

Reds: Suarez flied to right. Moustakas lined to second. Stephenson struck out swinging. Through seven shutout innings, Kershaw has given up only four hits and one walk while striking out eight. He has made 90 pitches, 64 for strikes. It seems unlikely he will pitch the eighth.

Dodgers: Amir Garrett now pitching for the Reds. Barnes flied to center. Sheldon Neuse, batting for Kershaw, grounded to third. Betts flied to center.

Score after seven: Dodgers 2, Reds 0

Reds: Senzel hit a slow roller to third for a single. He has three of Cincinnati’s four hits today. Winker struck out swinging. Castellanos struck out swinging. Votto grounded to third.

Dodgers: Turner struck out swinging. Muncy grounded to second. Taylor walked. Ryan Hendrix replaces Sonny Gray. Pollock walked on four pitches. Raley grounded to third.

Score after six: Dodgers 2, Reds 0

Justin Turner earlier went yard for his team-leading sixth homer, which—in the midst of this Dodgers “slump” that has inspired so much molar-gnashing—got me to thinking of a real slump. And the most underrated SI Jinx in recent memory.

The August 28, 2017 issue of Sports Illustrated proclaimed—not for the first time, not for the last—a team to be The Greatest Ever (albeit with a question mark ordered up lamely by the magazine’s equally lame then Editor-in-Chief) . That team was the Dodgers and its cover boy was Turner receiving a Gatorade shower from Yasiel Puig. When the issue landed in mailboxes on Thursday Aug. 24, Los Angeles was 90-36 and on a pace to be at least the Greatest Regular Season Team Ever. It’s a fun cover, shot by team photographer Jon SooHoo, with an excellent accompanying story by Stephanie Apstein.

The Dodgers would defeat Milwaukee at home the following night. And then....

They would win once in the next 17 days, a skein unimaginable for a team that would go on to reach the World Series. The lesson here? Seven losses in nine games might take the shine off the latest Greatest Team Ever, but .... that’s baseball.

Also? Always Fear the Jinx.

Reds: Stephenson grounded to short. Farmer struck out swinging. Gray grounded to third. Kershaw has five strikeouts through five. We are never getting free Jumbo Jacks at this rate.

Dodgers: Kershaw grounded to second. Betts struck out swinging. Lux struck out looking.

Reds: Castellanos grounded to third. Votto singled to left. Suarez hit a hard grounder between third and short. Turner, dove, snagged it and threw to first for the out. Turner, who lost a lot of weight in the off-season, looks much quicker on defense this season. Moustakas struck out swinging.

Dodgers: Taylor struck out swinging. Pollock struck out swinging. Gray has seven strikeouts. Raley singled to right. Raley took second on a wild pitch. Barnes struck out looking. Gray’s last seven outs have been via strikeout.

Score after four: Dodgers 2, Reds 0

Reds: Tyler Stephenson struck out swinging. Kyle Farmer grounded to third. Sonny Gray walked on seven pitches. Senzel singled to left, Gray to second. Winker grounded to short.

Dodgers: Betts struck out looking. Lux struck out looking. Turner homered to DEEP left. Muncy struck out looking.

Score after three: Dodgers 2, Reds 0

Reds: Joey Votto struck out swinging. Eugenio Suarez lined to center. Mike Moustakas grounded back to Kershaw.

Dodgers: Chris Taylor walked. Taylor stole second. AJ Pollock singled sharply to left, Taylor stopping at third. Luke Raley grounded into a 4-6-3 double play, but Taylor scored. No RBI for Raley. Austin Barnes walked. Clayton Kershaw struck out looking.

Score after two: Dodgers 1, Reds 0

Reds: Clayton Kershaw pitching for the Dodgers. Nick Senzel singled to left. Senzel stole second. Jesse Winker flied to left. Nick Castellano struck out swinging and Senzel was thrown out trying to steal third. Strike ‘em out, throw ‘em out.

Dodgers: Sonny Gray pitching for the Reds. Mookie Betts doubled to right. Gavin Lux flied to shallow right. He’s struggling almost as bad as Edwin Rios. Justin Turner fouled to first. Muncy struck out swinging.

Score after one: Dodgers 0, Reds 0

Gavin Lux

(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Dave Roberts named Gavin Lux as his starting second baseman in early March, the Dodgers manager saying the highly touted infield prospect would get “a good runway to play regularly” this season despite a disappointing 2020 in which Lux hit .175 in 19 games.

True to his word, Roberts batted Lux second between leadoff man Mookie Betts and No. 3 batter Justin Turner for Wednesday’s series finale against the Cincinnati Reds in hopes that the prime spot in the lineup could help Lux snap out of a lengthy slump.

In his previous eight games since April 19, a stretch that included a stint on the injured list because of right-wrist soreness, Lux is batting .080 (two for 25) with three RBIs, 10 strikeouts and no walks, lowering his season average to .204.

“I just want to get Gavin going,” Roberts said. “He missed some time on IL and was swinging the bat well. [Reds starter] Sonny Gray can spin it. I like the left-handers in there. I believe he’s going to have some good at-bats today.”

The lack of quality in many of Lux’s recent at-bats, Roberts said, could be traced to some mechanical issues in the box.

“I think Gavin is a little quick,” Roberts said. “They’re spinning him a little bit, [hitting him with] velocity late, and he’s coming out of the ground a little bit instead of staying in the ground.

“There’s been a little bit of out front of breaking balls, behind on the fastball, so that just tells me you’re caught in between. For me, it’s get back to the basics, see the baseball, hit it hard through the middle of the field, and everything else will take care of itself.”

Mookie Betts

(Kyusung Gong/AP)

Mookie Betts swung at a Heath Hembree breaking ball that was a good four inches outside Tuesday night, the Dodger right fielder’s strikeout with a runner on first ending the eighth inning of an eventual 6-5 loss to the Cincinnati Reds.

“Very uncharacteristic, the swings out of the strike zone,” manager Dave Roberts said of Betts. “For me, that’s trying a little too hard. Let the game come to you. When they throw it in the strike zone, get you’re ‘A’ swing off, and if they don’t, take it, knowing we have other guys that still need to do their jobs.”

The Dodgers have lost three straight and seven of nine entering Wednesday’s series finale against the Reds, and one of the key factors in their offensive struggles has been Betts, the sparkplug of World Series-winning teams in Boston in 2018 and Los Angeles in 2020.

Betts, who signed a 12-year, $365-million contract before last season, is batting .182 (eight for 44) with a .567 on-base-plus-slugging percentage, four doubles, one RBI, six runs, 10 strikeouts and five walks in his last 10 games. Roberts has sensed the frustration in his leadoff man.

“When you’re as talented as he is and you hit at the top of the order, you do feel that sense of, if I get going, the offense will follow,” Roberts said. “But Mookie is going to be fine. It’s just one of those funks he’s going through, but he still goes out there and competes every single at-bat. That’s why I love the player.”

According to Fangraphs, Betts has swung at 23.5% of the pitches he’s seen outside of the strike zone this season, slightly higher than his 22.7% career rate but actually better than his 24.9% O-swing rate in 2020.

As uneven as the umpiring behind the plate has been this season, it was hard to tell Tuesday night if Betts’ last swing was a bad chase or if he was trying to protect the plate on a two-strike pitch that he feared might be called a strike by umpire Angel Hernandez.

“You know me, I don’t like to use the umpires [as an excuse], but when there are inconsistencies or a wider zone, it does make hitters second-guess,” Roberts said. “That’s reality. But I do think last night was just a bad chase, and I do think Mookie would be the first to tell you that.”

Shortstop Corey Seager, who started in 23 of the team’s first 24 games, is not in the lineup for Wednesday’s series finale against the Cincinnati Reds in Dodger Stadium. Gavin Lux will move from second base to shortstop and bat second, with and Chris Taylor will start at second.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Wednesday this is a scheduled day off for Seager, who is slated to play the next seven games after the break.

The Dodgers have lost three straight games and seven of nine. They lost in extra innings to the San Diego Padres Sunday night and the Reds Monday night, and they held a 5-3 lead over Cincinnati Tuesday night when the Reds rallied for three runs in the seventh inning of a 6-5 win.

The Dodgers have not scored a run after the seventh inning since an April 17 game at San Diego, and they are batting .187 (14 for 75) with runners in scoring position over the past 10 games.

According to Inside Edge, the Dodgers never went more than two games in a row without scoring a run after the seventh inning in the regular season last year. They did go as many as six straight games without a run after the seventh inning in the postseason, but they won five of those games.

The fourth through nine hitters in the Dodgers lineup are four for 40 with 15 strikeouts and 12 walks or hit-by-pitches in the first two games against the Reds.

DODGERS LINEUP

CF Mookie Betts

SS Gavin Lux

3B Justin Turner

1B Max Muncy

2B Chris Taylor

LF AJ Pollock

RF Luke Raley

C Austin Barnes

LHP Clayton Kershaw

REDS LINEUP

CF Nick Senzel

LF Jesse Winker

RF Nick Castellanos

1B Joey Votto

SS Eugenio Suarez

3B Mike Moustakas

C Tyler Stephenson

2B Kyle Farmer

RHP Sonny Gray

Matt Beaty was hitting .091 (one for 11) with six strikeouts and two walks in 10 games when the Dodgers utility player was demoted to the team’s alternate training site in Phoenix on April 17 to get more at-bats and regular playing time.

The corner outfielder/infielder returned on Saturday, and in four games since he is two for four with three walks and two hit-by-pitches, including a clutch two-run single in the sixth inning of Tuesday night’s 6-5 loss to the Cincinnati Reds.

“I feel pretty good up there, I feel comfortable again,” said Beaty, one of the few bright spots for a team that has lost three straight and seven of nine. “Going down to the alt site was good for me to get some at-bats, get some confidence, put some balls in play hard and get back to what I do as a baseball player.”

The Dodgers may have little choice but to take a similar tack with one of Beaty’s best friends on the team, reserve corner infielder Edwin Rios, who struck out in an eighth-inning pinch-hit appearance Tuesday night and is hitless in 24 at-bats dating back to April 13.

The left-handed-hitting Rios is batting .093 (four for 43) with one homer, one RBI, 15 strikeouts and six walks on the season entering Wednesday’s series finale against he Reds.

“He’s scuffling,” manager Dave Roberts said, when asked if Rios would benefit from a stint in Arizona. “We’ll continue to monitor all of these guys. I think the goal is to give these guys the best chance to have success, and if a player is not having success and needs to find their way, we can have those discussions.”

With third baseman Justin Turner limited by injuries to 42 games in the pandemic-shortened 60-game season last year, Rios was a capable fill-in, batting .250 with a .946 on-base-plus-slugging percentage, eight homers and 17 RBIs in 32 games. He hit .277 with a 1.010 OPS, four homers and eight RBIs in 28 games in 2019.

Roberts said after Monday night’s loss, in which Rios went 0 for three with two strikeouts, that he is “more of the mind to continue to instill confidence” in Rios rather than demote him. Beaty believes Rios is one good swing, one line drive, one hard-hit ball to the gap away from snapping out of his slump.

“That’s my guy — he’ll be all right,” Beaty said. “That guy can hit. He’s one of the best hitters on this team, and once he gets going, he’s going to be dangerous. We’ve seen what he can do, and we all have confidence in him. He needs to believe in himself.

“Once he gets that first knock, gets on base, hits the ball hard somewhere, it’s gonna be game-on, and it’s gonna be fun to watch. We all believe in Eddie and what he can do at the plate and how big of a threat he can be in the box.”

But struggling players often need to take one step back before they can take two steps forward. Consistent at-bats in a stress-free environment at the alternate site could be as much of a confidence-boost for Rios, 27, as it was for Beaty, whose two-run single to right field gave the Dodgers a 5-3 lead Tuesday night.

“With Matt, we were at a point where we didn’t have consistent at-bats for him, and he didn’t look comfortable in the box, so to buy into us sending him to the alt site, to take at-bats over [seven] days, to kind of reset, certainly proved beneficial,” Roberts said. “He looks like a different hitter right now.”

Tucker Barnhart breaks a bat during the second inning.

(Associated Press)

Over the last few days, as his club’s offensive downturn bled into a second week, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts maintained that the drought was an anomaly. He called it a funk. He said all teams, even World Series favorites, endure lulls and the Dodgers are too talented, even with Cody Bellinger on the injured list, to have this continue for long.

On Tuesday night, the Dodgers’ bats showed some life. It wasn’t an outburst, but they mustered timely hits and scored five runs — just the third time they reached that total over the last 10 games — against the Cincinnati Reds.

But the pitching faltered, rendering the production insufficient in a 6-5 loss at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers (15-9) have lost three straight games for the first time since August 2019 and seven of nine games after starting the season 13-2.

“We’re fine. We know what we have in this clubhouse,” Dodgers left fielder Matt Beaty said. “We’re a really good group of ballplayers. We’re confident. …We need to put together some good at-bats and get the momentum going. Once that happens, it’s going to be game on.”

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Reds: Naquin popped to short. Dennis Santana replaces Alexander. Blandino grounded to third. Barnhart struck out swinging.

Dodgers: Heath Hembree now pitching for the Reds. Lux fouled to third. Edwin Rios, hitting for Santana, struck out swinging. I actually typed that in before the at-bat was over. Rios is four for 43 this season, with 15 strikeouts. Betts struck out swinging at pitch outside.

Score after eight: Reds 6, Dodgers 5

Reds: Barnhart doubled to right. Farmer singled to left-center, scoring Barnhart. See, the Dodgers just can’t let a good lead remain there. Eugenio Suarez, batting for the pitcher, struck out looking at a pitch that was high. That’s 10 strikeouts for Dodger pitchers, and you know what that means: Free Jumbo Jacks! And that’s also it for Buehler, who comes out of the game. He went 6.1 IP, giving up four runs, seven hits and one walk while striking out 10.

He is replaced by left-hander Scott Alexander, who faces left-hander Jesse Winker. Winker hit a shot toward third that Turner dove and grabbed and flipped to second, forcing Farmer. Great play by Turner. Castellanos singled up the middle. First and second, two out. Votto doubled down the right-field line, giving the Reds a 6-5 lead. Moustakas grounded to short.

Dodgers: Carson Fulmer now pitching for the Reds. Muncy struck out swinging. Smith grounded to third. Taylor flied to right.

Score after seven: Reds 6, Dodgers 5

Reds: Votto flied to left. Moustakas popped to second. Naquin singled to left. Blandino struck out looking.

Dodgers: Smith was hit by a pitch. Taylor doubled to left, Smith to third. Lux struck out swinging. Beaty singled to right, scoring both runners. Edwin Rios was on deck to bat for Buehler, but that hit means he stays in the game. Buehler attempted to bunt three times and bunted foul for a strikeout. Betts walked. Ryan Hendrix replaces DeLeon on the mound for the Reds. Seager walked, loading the bases. Turner grounded to short.

Score after six: Dodgers 5, Reds 3

“Fernandomania @ 40” is a multi-episode documentary series that examines star pitcher Fernando Valenzuela’s impact on the Dodgers, Major League Baseball and the Latino community in Los Angeles 40 years ago.

Episode 2 starts in Mexico, specifically, Etchohuaquila. This is where Fernando Valenzuela’s humble roots began. He starts his baseball career at 16 years old and quickly makes a name for himself. Valenzuela and guests discuss his desire to succeed as a professional ballplayer, the birth of his devastating screwball and his remarkable debut with the Dodgers in late 1980.

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Reds: Barnhart was hit by a pitch. Farmer doubled to left-center, Barnhart stopping at third. Gee, the Dodgers don’t let fans relax at all when they get a lead. Tyler Stephenson, batting for the pitcher, grounded to short, Barnhart scoring, Farmer to third. Winker singled to right, scoring Farmer. Castellanos grounded into a 6-4-3 double play.

Dodgers: Jose De Leon now pitching for the Reds. No relation to the Jose De Leon who pitched for a few teams in the 1980s. Betts grounded to short. Seager grounded to second. Turner singled to left. Muncy flied to shallow center.

Score after five: Dodgers 3, Reds 3

Reds: Castellanos doubled to left-center. Votto walked. Moustakas grounded to second, but with the shift on, there was no one available to cover second, so the runners advanced a base. The shift cost the Dodgers a double play there. Naquin struck out swinging. Huge strikeout. Blandino struck out swinging. Buehler has eight strikeouts through four innings. Two more K’s, and free Jumbo Jacks throughout the land!

Dodgers: Turner walked on five pitches. Muncy is up. His last 12 plate appearances: BB, BB, BB, BB, K, IBB, BB, HBP, K, BB, K, BB. And he walked here too. First and second, nobody out. Smith homered to DEEP left-center. 3-1 Dodgers. Taylor struck out on a pitch so far outside the catcher couldn’t handle it, throwing Taylor out at first. Lux grounded to third. Beaty walked. Buehler flied to right.

Score after four: Dodgers 3, Reds 1

The first thing Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer did after receiving his 2020 National League Cy Young Award on Tuesday night was snap a picture of it and choose it as the wallpaper for his smartphone.

The black-and-charcoal-grey plaque with a right hand gripping a baseball replaced the picture of a Jim Palmer Cy Young Award that Bauer had used as his phone background for the last decade.

“I just pulled it off the internet and put it there as a subconscious reminder that I needed to work hard every day and study and get better, because that was the goal, to win a Cy Young Award one day,” Bauer said. “And now I have one that says Trevor Bauer on it and not Jim Palmer, so that’s pretty cool.”

Bauer won the award by going 5-4 with an NL-leading 1.73 ERA in 11 starts for the Cincinnati Reds last season. The 30-year-old right-hander gave up only 41 hits in 73 innings, struck out 100 and walked 17, and threw two shutouts before signing a three-year, $102-million deal with the Dodgers in February.

Bauer received the award in a brief ceremony before Tuesday night’s game against the Reds in Dodger Stadium, with Cincinnati pitching coach Derek Johnson and former rotation mates such as Sonny Gray and Luis Castillo on hand.

“We went through the season last year together and bonded over a lot of different things, and I won it with them,” Bauer said. “I’m happy they were in town, that D.J. was here to present it, and we were able to share a really special moment together.”

Bauer, who played at Santa Clarita Hart High and UCLA, was sent from Cleveland to Cincinnati as part of a three-team trade-deadline deal in 2019, an injury plagued season in which Bauer went 11-13 with a 4.48 ERA in 34 starts.

The difference in 2020, Bauer said, was good health and a reduced walk rate, from 3.5 walks per-nine innings in 2019 to 2.1 in 2020.

“I commanded the ball better and chopped my walk-rate down significantly, so when I did give up homers or damaging hits, I wasn’t putting three baserunners out there,” said Bauer, the first Reds pitcher in the 138-year history of the franchise to win the Cy Young (which was first awarded in 1956). “I made it easier on myself to have good starts.”

Bauer, who is 3-0 with a 2.53 ERA in his first five starts with the Dodgers, said he will place his Cy Young Award next to the Golden Spikes Award he won as college baseball’s best player in 2011.

“For a kid who never played on an ‘A’ tournament team, who was never the best at any level he played at, to have two awards from college and the big leagues that say I was the best for a given period of time is pretty special,” Bauer said. “So I’ll put those two next to each other and set a spotlight on them so they always look good.”

Bauer hopes to add to that trophy case.

“I want to win three or more Cy Youngs, so I’m not satisfied with one,” Bauer said. “I want to win a World Series, for sure. I want to help change the landscape of baseball to make it better for players who come after me in a host of different areas, performance, representation, branding opportunities, stuff like that.

“I’m certainly not running low on motivation after winning the award, but it is nice to celebrate a personal accomplishment when I do get one, because I tend to set very lofty goals for myself.”

Reds: Kyle Farmer struck out swinging. Jeff Hoffman struck out looking. Winker grounded into the shift, Seager making the play.

Dodgers: Walker Buehler struck out swinging. Betts lined to first, with Votto making a nice diving grab. Seager grounded to second.

Score after three: Reds 1, Dodgers 0

Reds: Tyler Naquin grounded to short. Alex Blandino struck out swinging. Tucker Barnhart grounded to Buehler.

Dodgers: Chris Taylor grounded to short. Gavin Lux struck out swinging at a pitch well low and inside. Matt Beaty lined to Moustakas, who was playing short while the regular shortstop was swung over to the right side of the infield for the shift.

Score after two: Reds 1, Dodgers 0

Max Muncy worked a two-out walk in the first inning to continue a recent remarkable run.

Here are the results of Muncy’s last 12 plate appearances going back to Sunday:

1. BB

2. BB

3. BB

4. BB

5. K

6. IBB

7. BB

8. HBP

9. K

10. BB

11. K

12. BB

Muncy’s on-base percentage for the season has climbed from .422 to .463 in the short stretch. His batting average has dropped from .258 to .250.

Reds: Walker Buehler pitching for the Dodgers. Jesse Winker starts things off with a homer to right-center. So he has homered in his last two at-bats. Nick Castellanos struck out swinging. Joey Votto struck out swinging. Mike Moustakas, just off the IL, struck out swinging.

Dodgers: Mookie Betts grounded to third. Corey Seager lined to second. The opponents all season long have set up their defense perfectly, as it seems every hard hit ball this season is right at someone. Justin Turner walked. Max Muncy walked. Will Smith popped to shallow center. Dodgers are 0 for 1 with runners in scoring position tonight.

Score after one: Reds 1, Dodgers 0

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters Tuesday afternoon that the club could end up making roster moves in the next couple of days after some players got their COVID-19 vaccines after Monday’s game, depending on how players reacted to the shots.

Moves were then announced a few minutes before first pitch Tuesday: left-hander Victor González and right-hander Mitch White were placed on the injured list. Outfielder DJ Peters and left-hander Garrett Cleavinger were recalled.

The Dodgers didn’t specify the 10-day injured list or cite an injury for González and White, presumably meaning they are dealing with side effects from the vaccine.

Trevor Bauer, who won the Cy Young Award last season while pitching for the Cincinnati Reds, received that award Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium before the Dodgers played..... the Reds. And then he proudly showed it off:

Cody Bellinger

(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Cody Bellinger will go to the Dodgers’ alternate training site in Arizona to continue his rehabilitation process when the team travels to Milwaukee to begin a seven-game road trip Thursday.

Bellinger is on the injured list with a fractured left fibula he suffered April 5 against the Oakland Athletics.

“I just think that the healing is most important with the fracture,” Roberts said. “And so what we can do is keep him as active as possible and when that is, then he’ll be ready.”

Bellinger has been throwing and started taking batting practice on the field last week. Roberts said he took a significant step forward Monday when he ran on 40% of his body weight; running pain-free is the final obstacle in Bellinger’s recovery.

Ultimately, the 2019 NL MVP’s return depends on when the bone heals. Both he and Roberts have said they aren’t sure when that’ll happen and, thus, they don’t have a target date for his return. Bellinger has already missed three weeks.

Once it does, Bellinger will remain in Arizona to take live at-bats at the alternate training site before joining the Dodgers to play immediately.

“Once that fracture heals, coinciding with live at-bats, hopefully he can hit the ground running when he heals,” Roberts said. “He’s trending in the right direction.”

Joe Kelly

(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

The Dodgers may activate Joe Kelly during their upcoming seven-game road trip, manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday.

Kelly began the season on the injured list with a shoulder injury after dealing dealing with shoulder trouble and undergoing a procedure last season.

Roberts said Kelly has pitched in four games at the team’s alternate training site in Arizona and is expected to pitch again Wednesday. If the veteran right-hander emerges healthy, he could join the club on the road.

The Dodgers have a four-game series in Milwaukee against the Brewers starting Thursday before playing three games against the Cubs next week.

Dave Roberts

(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he’s fully vaccinated against COVID-19, but the club’s Tier 1 personnel — comprised of players, coaches, trainers, front office members, and other people deemed essential in contact with players — remains short of the 85% vaccinated threshold Major League Baseball established as an incentive for loosened health and safety protocols.

The Dodgers are encroaching the number, according to Roberts, after some players got vaccines after Monday’s loss against the Reds.

“We’re just not quite there yet and I don’t think this one will,” Roberts said. “Maybe in a little over a week we’ll be there, hopefully.”

Roberts added that club might have to make roster moves this week depending on how the players respond to the shots taken Monday.

“Just depending on how they feel then we’ve got guys that are here to potentially back fill,” Roberts said. “That’s part of it and every team goes through that.”

MLB informed teams in late March that fully vaccinated individuals – people are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after the final dose – can gather on team planes, trains, and buses. They can spend time with other vaccinated people indoors without masks or distancing outside of team facility. Their virus testing is reduced from every other day to twice a week and vaccinated family or household members can stay at the team hotel on the road.

Teams that reach the 85% marker don’t have to wear masks in the dugout or bullpen. They can eat at indoor restaurants, have non-vaccinated family or household members stay with players and staff members at the team hotel, and take part in shared clubhouse activities. That includes video games. Contract tracing is also measure are also lightened; players don’t have to be quarantined if they are exposed to someone who tests positive.

The Dodgers began the season 13-2 and have lost six of their last eight games, a glaring slide when put in context of the team’s success the last two years. They look to avoid their first three-game losing streak since Aug. 2019 against the Reds on Tuesday night.

AJ Pollock isn’t in the lineup for the third straight day after dealing with 24-hour stomach bug Monday, according to manager Dave Roberts.

Pollock is available to come off he bench Tuesday but the Dodgers opted to keep him out of the lineup to give him more time to rest. Roberts said he will start in Wednesday afternoon’s series finale.

Walker Buehler will take the mound for the Dodgers opposite right-hander Jeff Hoffman. The Reds took the series opener Monday 5-3 in 10 innings.

DODGERS (15-8)

Mookie Betts RF

Corey Seager SS

Justin Turner 3B

Max Muncy 1B

Will Smith C

Chris Taylor CF

Gavin Lux 2B

Matt Beaty LF

Walker Buehler P

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Jeff Hoffman delivers against the Arizona Diamondbacks on April 10.

(Ross D. Franklin / Associated Press)

The Dodgers did not lose three consecutive games at any point in 2020. They’ll be looking to avoid their first of 2021 against a Cincinnati Reds team that snapped a seven-game losing streak Monday with a 5-3 win in 10 innings over the Dodgers.

The Dodgers will look to Walker Buehler to get them back on track after he allowed his first home run in Dodger Stadium since the 2019 season during a 3-2 loss to the San Diego Padres last week. Since the beginning of the 2020 season, he has a 1.34 ERA at home with 42 strikeouts to six walks in that span.

Reds starter Jeff Hoffman has experience facing the Dodgers, dating back to his time with the Colorado Rockies. In seven appearances, he has a 6.50 ERA with two home runs and five walks surrendered per nine innings against the Dodgers.

Dodgers line for April 27, 2021.

(VSiN)

The Reds back up Hoffman with a bullpen that is 27th in the MLB in ERA and a lineup that is last in league road batting average at .192.

The Dodgers have failed to cover the run line in each of their past eight games and have covered the run line once in seven tries coming off a loss this season while the Reds had lost five consecutive road games prior to Monday.

VSiN, the Sports Betting Network, offers more expert sports betting content in a free daily email at VSiN.com/email.

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Highlights from the Dodgers’ 5-3 loss in 10 innings to the Cincinnati Reds on Monday.

The energy that pulsed through Dodger Stadium the previous four days was gone Monday. The San Diego Padres left town, replaced by the Cincinnati Reds, and the playoff ambience that had sneaked into Chavez Ravine six months early exited with them.

It was time for the Dodgers to turn the page, return to typical April baseball, and recover from a draining four-game series loss to their brash rivals. A date with the Reds offered the first-place club a prime bounceback chance. Cincinnati arrived on a seven-game losing streak with an offense sputtering as much as the Dodgers’ bats have recently.

But the Dodgers struggled to score again and lost their second extra-inning game in two days 5-3, on Jesse Winker’s leadoff two-run home run against Kenley Jansen in the 10th inning.

The Dodgers, without Justin Turner (rest) in the starting lineup, recorded six hits, worked five walks and had two batters hit by a pitch. But they struck out 12 times, went 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position and left 10 runners on base, affording their pitching staff little room for error again.

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Reds: Joey Votto, batting for Farmer. And that bring out Dave Roberts, who replaces right-hander Santana with left-hander Scott Alexander. Votto grounded into the shift, with Rios making the play. Tucker Barnhart hit a liner to third that bounced off Rios’ glove but Rios ran it down and threw him out. Nice recovery by Rios. Blandino grounded to third.

Dodgers: Votto in at first. Blandino to third. Rios was hit by a pitch. Justin Turner, batting for Alexander, flied to right. Betts grounded to third. Blandino had trouble gripping the ball and was only able to force Rios at second. Man on first, two out. Seager grounded to second. We go to extra innings, again.

Reds: Dennis Santana is now pitching for the Dodgers. Senzel hit a little looper to left. Easy play for Seager. Stephenson flied to right. India struck out swinging. To get a whole country to strike out like that is impressive. Wait, I’m being told that is just a last name.

Dodgers: Tejay Antone now pitching for the Reds. Muncy walked. Smith grounded into a 5-4-3 double play. Raley was hit by a pitch. Lux struck out swinging.

Score after eight: Dodgers 3, Reds 3

Reds: Sims grounded to short. Blandino walked for the third time this game. Winker flied to deep center. Castellanos walked. First and second, two out. Brusdar Graterol replaced White. Suarez took strike one and Smith threw down to second in an attempt to pick off Blandino. However, Lux had no idea it was happening and reacted late, knocking the ball down. The play allowed Blandino to take third. Then Suarez grounded to third, so no damage done except to some pride.

Dodgers: Rios struck out swinging. Austin Barnes, batting for Graterol, walked. Betts lined to short. Left-hander Amir Garrett comes in to face left-handed Corey Seager. Garrett has a 13.50 ERA and lefties are hitting .400 against him. Seager homered to center, tying the score, 3-3. Taylor grounded to third.

There’s someone new wearing No. 66 this season.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

The shock and outrage swarmed immediately online. It appears the dream of the Dodgers one day retiring Yasiel Puig’s number is over.

Mitch White, making his season debut for the team, came into the game in the sixth inning and was wearing number 66, the number made popular by Puig when he was with the team.

All of you with a Puig jersey can just use masking take to cover over “Puig” and write in “White.”

Although if the Dodgers start calling White “Wild Horse”, then they are getting carried away.

Reds: Mitch White, recalled from the alternate site today, makes his season debut. Senzel grounded to third. Stephenson singled to left. India fouled to right. Farmer flied to center.

Dodgers: Lucas Sims now pitching for the Reds. Smith struck out swinging. Raley struck out swinging. Lux struck out swinging. Too bad Jack in the Box isn’t giving away free Jumbo Jacks if the Reds strike out 10.

Score after six: Reds 3, Dodgers 1

Reds right fielder Nick Castellanos lined a Julio Urias changeup into right field for a double and eventually scored in the fourth inning, and he smacked another Urias changeup into left field for a two-out RBI single in the fifth.

The hits were the first that Urias has given up on his changeup this season. The rest of the league is hitless in 25 at-bats against the Dodgers left-hander’s off-speed pitch.

“It’s conviction, having the conviction in the pitch and attacking the hitters,” Urias said of his changeup after his April 15 start against Colorado. “I’ve been a little lucky with the pitch.”

That luck ran out Monday night.

Reds: Farmer was hit by a pitch. Mahle sacrificed Farmer to second. Blandino walked for the second time this game. Winker struck out swinging. Castellanos singled to left, Farmer scoring, Blandino to second. Suarez grounded to short.

Dodgers: Matt Beaty hit for Urías, who went five innings, giving up three runs and four hits while walking two and striking out six. He threw 87 pitches, 54 for strikes. Beaty flied to right. Betts struck out swinging. Seager singled to left-center. Taylor singled to center. First and second, two out. Muncy struck out swinging.

Score after five: Reds 3, Dodgers 1

Reds: Winker singled to center. There goes the no-hitter. Castellanos doubled to right, Winker to third. Suarez grounded to short, scoring Winker. Senzel flied to left, scoring Castellanos. Imagine that, having two runners in scoring position and scoring them both. Stephenson doubled down the left-field line. By the way, I’m not sure the word “Reds” is big enough on the front of their jerseys. You can barely make it out. India struck out swinging.

Dodgers: Taylor singled to center. Muncy was hit by a pitch. Smith popped to shallow right, no advance by Taylor. Raley flied to deep left-center. Lux singled to right-center, Taylor scoring, Muncy to third. Finally, a hit with a runner in scoring position. Rios struck out swinging at a pitch that was high.

Score after four: Reds 2, Dodgers 1

Reds: Former Dodger Kyle Farmer grounded to second. Tyler Mahle grounded to third. Blandino fouled to first.

Dodgers: Urías grounded to third. Betts flied to deep left. Seager struck out swinging.

Score after three: Dodgers 0, Reds 0

Reds: Nick Senzel struck out swinging. Tyler Stephenson grounded to third. Jonathan India struck out looking.

Dodgers: Luke Raley struck out swinging. The returning Gavin Lux grounded to first. Edwin Rios grounded to first. Well, at least they didn’t leave the bases loaded.

Score after two innings: Dodgers 0, Reds 0

Reds: Alex Blandino walked. Jesse Winker struck out swinging. Nick Castellanos grounded slowly to short, Blandino to second. Eugenio Suarez struck out looking.

Dodgers: Mookie Betts hit a ground-rule double down the left-field line. He took third on a passed ball during the next at-bat. Corey Seager walked on five pitches. Chris Taylor (Justin Turner is off just for a rest day) flied to right, but not deep enough to score Betts. Max Muncy walked, loading the bases for Will Smith. The Dodgers went 1 for 9 with six strikeouts last night. And Smith grounds into a 6-4-3 double play.

Score after one: Dodgers 0, Reds 0

A closer look at tonight’s matchup between Julio Urías and Tyler Mahle. First pitch is scheduled for 7:08 p.m. PT.

Julio Urías, LHP

Julio Urias

(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

2021: 3-0, 2.81 ERA, 0.95 WHIP

Career: 15-7, 3.16 ERA, 1.220 WHIP

Career vs. Cincinnati: 1-0, 0.00 ERA in one start

Career at Dodger Stadium: 8-3, 3.24 ERA in 23 starts

Urías has faced only three current Reds:

Eugenio Suarez, .500 (1 for 2)

Mike Moustakas, .333 (1 for 3)

Tucker Barnhart, .000 (0 for 2)

Tyler Mahle, RHP

2021: 1-1, 1.74 ERA, 0.871 WHIP

Career: 14-26, 4.50 ERA, 1.367 WHIP

Career vs. Dodgers: 2-1, 2.12 ERA in three starts

Career at Dodger Stadium: 1-1, 3.27 ERA in two starts

Doesn’t want to face

Corey Seager, .500 (3 for 6, 1 double)

Max Muncy, .429 (3 for 7)

Matt Beaty, .333 (1 for 3)

Won’t mind facing

Chris Taylor, .111 (1 for 9)

Zach McKinstry

(David Zalubowski / Associated Press)

Dodgers utilityman Zach McKinstry said he doesn’t know when he’ll return from the oblique strain that landed him on the injured list Friday. The rookie said his return depends on when his oblique is 100% and he doesn’t know when that’ll happen.

McKinstry said he suffered the injury taking a swing during batting practice Thursday. He was then scratched from the lineup. He said the plan is for him to travel to the Dodgers’ alternate training site in Arizona to continue his rehab when the team heads to Milwaukee for their road trip later in the week.

The injury interrupted a strong start to the season for the 2016 33rd-round pick. McKinstry is batting .296 with three home runs, five doubles, 14 RBI and an .883 OPS in 17 games this season.

“Trying not to let it sink in too much,” McKinstry said. “Just excited to come back and look forward to helping out the team win again, getting back on the field and having fun. It’s a lot of work right now getting the body right, but looking forward to getting back into the game.”

David Price

(Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images)

Dodger Stadium was empty Monday afternoon, save for a few players going through some fielding drills, when Dodgers bullpen coach Josh Bard gathered his eight relievers in left field for a pep talk.

Bard addressed the group briefly. The relief corps had blown a six-run lead in a marathon loss to the San Diego Padres less than 24 hours earlier. It was a new day. At the end, they all put their hands in the middle and broke the huddle for their pregame workouts.

The group’s composition told part of the story of the Dodgers’ recent troubles. Joe Kelly, Tony Gonsolin, and Corey Knebel weren’t there. They’re all on the injured list for the foreseeable future. David Price was also missing. Minutes later, Price officially joined them.

The news was expected after manager Dave Roberts revealed that Price had a strain in his outing Sunday after the loss, but the severity was unclear. On Monday, Roberts disclosed another dose of bad news: Price suffered a Grade 2 strain and will miss at least a few weeks.

“It depends on how David responds,” Roberts said. “The nice thing is he can still keep his arm moving, and he’s determined to get back sooner than later, so we’ll see how it plays out.”

With Price’s addition, the Dodgers have five players on the injured list that they expect to contribute in 2021.

Price strained the hamstring after his third pitch in the seventh inning Sunday. He threw another 14 and gave up two runs, one earned, before getting three outs.

Price’s performance didn’t change Roberts’ pitching plan. The Dodgers still had a four-run lead and the bullpen was short three relievers. Robert wanted the former Cy Young Award winner to log at least another inning, if not the next two to finish out the game, after double-switching to put him on the mound.

Then Roberts got word of Price’s hamstring and those plans blew up, commencing a series of unfortunate events for the home team. The Padres scored two runs in each of the next two innings to tie the game, and another run in the 11th inning to win it against Garrett Cleavinger, the last available reliever left in the Dodgers’ bullpen.

Price’s move to the injured list was one of a series of moves the Dodgers made ahead of Monday’s series opener against the Cincinnati Reds.

Second baseman Gavin Lux (wrist) was activated from the injured list and reliever Dennis Santana was reinstated from the COVID-19 list after dealing with side effects from his second vaccine dose. Mitch White was recalled to join the bullpen while Cleavinger and outfielder DJ Peters were optioned to the alternate training site.

Lux started at second base Monday after going on the injured list April 19, retroactive to April 16, with a right wrist injury.

“We have to appreciate how much time he’s missed, which hasn’t been a ton,” Roberts said. “But seeing how his leg feels, for this series I expect him to be in there each day.”

Roberts said White, a starter in the minor leagues, will be used a reliever to cover two innings at a time. White, 26, made his major league debut last season. He was hampered in spring training with a shoulder injury, which kept him from appearing in a Cactus League and made him unavailable for the start of the season.

He joins a group that’s been challenged in the season’s first four weeks, perhaps never more so than Sunday.

Justin Turner

(Alex Gallardo / AP)

The Dodgers offense, sputtering for most of the last 10 days, received a boost Monday when second baseman Gavin Lux was activated from the injured list. Lux was placed on the injured list April 18, retroactive to April 16.

He’ll bat eighth Monday.

“We have to appreciate how much time he’s missed, which hasn’t been a ton,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “But seeing how his legs feel, for this series I expect him to be in there each day.”

Justin Turner isn’t in the Dodgers lineup but not because of injury. Roberts said it’s just a rest day for the third baseman after he played he entirety of the Dodgers’ draining four-game series against the Padres.

Edwin Ríos will start at third base and bat eighth for the Dodgers. He’ll look to break out of a frosty start to the season; the 27-year-old infielder is 4 for 39 with a .419 OPS and 12 strikeouts this season.

“I always remain positive with Eddie and all of our guys,” Roberts said. “That’s more of the hitting guys talking about approach and mechanics. I’m happy to get him back in there, I trust the defense, and giving him some consistent at-bats will hopefully help.”

The Dodgers will play the matchup in left field, starting Luke Raley, not AJ Pollock, against right-hander Tyler Mahle. Chris Taylor will make his 10th start in center field with Cody Bellinger (fibula) still on the injured list.

DODGERS (15-7)

Mookie Betts RF

Corey Seager SS

Chris Taylor CF

Max Muncy 1B

Will Smith C

Luke Raley LF

Gavin Lux 2B

Edwin Ríos 3B

Julio Urías P

REDS (9-12)

Alex Blandino 1B

Jesse Winker LF

Nick Castellanos RF

Eugenio Suárez SS

Tyler Stephenson C

Jonathan India 2B

Kyle Farmer 3B

Tyler Mahle P

Trevor Bauer

(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer will receive his 2020 National League Cy Young Award in a ceremony before Tuesday night’s game against the Cincinnati Reds in Dodger Stadium.

Bauer became the first pitcher in Reds team history to win the award after going 5-4 with an NL-leading 1.73 ERA in 11 starts for Cincinnati last season.

The right-hander also led the league with an 0.79 WHIP (walks plus hits per innings pitched), a .159 opponents’ batting average, two shutouts and two complete game while ranking second behind Jacob deGrom with 100 strikeouts and 12.33 strikeouts per nine innings.

Bauer signed a three-year, $102-million deal with the Dodgers this past winter and is 3-0 with a 2.53 ERA in his first five starts with his new team, striking out 45 and walking six in 32 innings.

The iconic Dodger Dog with mustard, ketchup and relish. You can still get a Dodger Dog at Dodger Stadium, but it won’t be made by Farmer John.

(Los Angeles Times)

It was Vin Scully’s best pitch, and he threw it for half a century. From transistor radio to satellite television, fans would know it was time for Dodger baseball when they would hear Scully invite them to pick up a pack of Farmer John Dodger Dogs.

Five years ago, Scully retired. Now, Farmer John Dodger Dogs are no more.

Dodger Stadium is dotted with signs promoting “World Famous” Dodger Dogs. Concession stand menus offer the “Traditional Dodger Dog.” The anthropomorphic statue beyond center field, with a mustard-covered hot dog as its torso, also advertises the Dodger Dog, but the Farmer John logo has been removed from its base.

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Dodgers center fielder Mookie Betts watches as a ball hit by San Diego Padres’ Fernando Tatis Jr. clears the wall for a home run. The ball was caught by La Salle Prep junior Doug Pyle (in a Dodgers jersey with a face mask over his chin).

(Alex Gallardo / Associated Press)

The Dodgers’ new “Home Run Seats” do not come with a guarantee of a home run ball. On Sunday, in the Dodgers’ nationally televised game against the San Diego Padres, one fan sitting there caught two home run balls.

No, he said, he did not throw back the one hit by Fernando Tatis Jr., despite what the broadcasters said on air and ESPN said in a tweet.

Doug Pyle, 17, is a junior at La Salle Prep in Pasadena. He and his family have gone to Dodger Stadium for years, but usually they sit along the left field line, close to the Dodgers bullpen.

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Dodgers pitcher Julio Urías will be on the mound Monday against the Cincinnati Reds.

(Ted S. Warren / Associated Press)

The Dodgers are coming off a thrilling series against the Padres in which they lost three of four games, including blowing a 7-1 lead to lose 8-7 in 11 innings on Sunday night. After looking like they might run away with the NL West, the Dodgers’ lead is down to one game over the surprising Giants, with the Padres now just three games back.

The defending champs now have to avoid a letdown as they host the Reds, who are on a seven-game losing streak. The whole world seems to be expecting the Dodgers to bounce back in Monday’s 7:10 p.m. PDT game as they opened between -165 and -170 Sunday night in Vegas, but the line had been steamed up to -185 and even -190 at some books as of 10 a.m. Monday.

Julio Urías, who didn’t start in the Padres series, takes the mound with a 3-0 record (and the Dodgers are 4-0 in his starts) with a 3.38 ERA and 1.07 WHIP. The Reds counter with one of their best pitchers, Tyler Mahle, who is just 1-1 but has better stats than Urías with a 1.74 ERA and 0.87 WHIP.

(VSiN)

The lean would be to the under, but oddsmakers have set it low at seven runs with the Reds’ slump and the strong starting matchup. The Reds are 14-6-1 to the over as they still lead the NL with a .251 batting average despite their recent slump while the Dodgers have been more of an under team at 13-9 with their stellar pitching.

VSiN, the Sports Betting Network, offers more expert sports betting content in a free daily email at VSiN.com/email.

Dodgers starting pitcher Victor González strikes out San Diego’s Jurickson Profar during the eighth inning of Sunday’s game.

(Alex Gallardo / Associated Press)

The Dodgers bullpen seemed well-positioned to finish off the San Diego Padres on Sunday night, even with manager Dave Roberts giving closer Kenley Jansen and setup men Blake Treinen and Scott Alexander the night off and ace short man Corey Knebel lost to an injury.

Starter Dustin May, mixing an electric sinking fastball with a sharp-breaking curve, tossed six superb innings, giving up one run and two hits, racking up a career-high 10 strikeouts and walking one, before handing a six-run lead to David Price.

It would not have been a stretch for Price, who hadn’t pitched in six days and needed the work, to cover the final three innings and give the rest of the bullpen a much-needed night off. At the very least, Price could pitch two innings and leave Roberts with plenty of options for the ninth.

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Highlights from the Dodgers’ 8-7 loss in 11 innings to the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium on Sunday.

A postseason game wasn’t played as the sun sparkled, set and vanished, making way for a chilly night at Dodger Stadium on Sunday. It just felt like baseball suited for October.

Game 7 of the 19-game season series between the Dodgers and San Diego Padres produced the energy, oddities and stomach-churning drama that captivated audiences in each of the first six matchups — aptly split evenly between the clubs.

Sunday’s bout included a blown six-run lead, 12 relievers, 422 pitches and two pitchers-turned-pinch-hitters over four hours and 59 minutes. There were hearty boos from the 15,316 in attendance, wasted opportunities and, after 11 innings, an 8-7 comeback win for the Padres in the rivals’ final meeting until June 21.

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San Diego’s Fernando Tatis Jr. celebrates with teammate Trent Grisham after hitting a solo home run during the fourth inning against the Dodgers on Sunday.

(Alex Gallardo / Associated Press)

The home nine arrived at Chavez Ravine on Sunday afternoon as victims of a theft so blatant it should have rattled them to their blue bones.

In a video that surfaced after the Dodgers’ Saturday night victory here over San Diego, it was clear that the Padres’ Fernando Tatis Jr. had sneaked a peek at catcher Will Smith’s positioning just before hitting his second home run of the game.

Yeah, the organization that was cheated out of the 2017 World Series championship by the Houston Astros once again had been robbed, embarrassed and played for fools.

What to do, then, on Sunday?

Do they pitch Tatis inside? Do they back him off the plate? Short of intentionally hitting him, do they do anything else to make him, you know … uncomfortable?

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