Dodgers fall short against Reds as losing streak reaches three
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.”
Walker Buehler recorded 10 strikeouts to one walk over 6-1/3 innings, but he was charged with a season-high five runs on seven hits. He exited the game with two runners on base in the seventh inning and watched Joey Votto hit a 3-2, two-out, two-run double off Scott Alexander that ultimately made the difference.
“I don’t care if you punch out 27,” a frustrated Buehler said, “to keep giving up leads the offense kept giving me is not acceptable.”
Jesse Winker supplied the go-ahead home run in the 10th inning in Monday’s series opener. On Tuesday, he smashed the first pitch of the game, a 95-mph fastball from Walker Buehler, for a leadoff home run.
Buehler quickly recovered. He struck out the next three batters and retired the next nine in a row. Nick Castellanos doubled and Votto walked to begin the fourth inning, but Buehler stranded the runners. He emerged with eight strikeouts through four innings but still trailing 1-0.
That changed in the bottom of the inning. Justin Turner and Max Muncy worked back-to-back walks to start the sequence after working consecutive walks in the first inning. Will Smith followed the first time with a flyout against Reds right-hander Jeff Hoffman. The second time, he crushed a three-run home run for the Dodgers’ first hit and lead.
The Dodgers need to figure out how to neutralize the glaring advantage the San Diego Padres hold over them: the running game.
The seesaw continued in Cincinnati’s two-run fifth inning, capped off by a first-pitch RBI single from Winker. An inning later, Beaty bounced a two-run single to right field through a drawn-in infield to put the Dodgers ahead again.
The Reds (11-12) connected with the next blow in the seventh. It started with Buehler giving up a double to Tucker Barnhart and an RBI single to former Dodger Kyle Farmer. He exited with one out in the inning, replaced by Alexander.
Three batters later, Votto, the aging former perennial MVP candidate, came through for the Reds. He had been in a two-for-26 slump. His line drive gave the Reds, losers of seven straight games before arriving in L.A., another lead for good and a chance to sweep the three-game series Wednesday.
“We got beat,” Roberts said. “Those guys kept fighting and put themselves in a position to win a game. Right now, we’re in salvage-the-series mode.”
More Dodgers get vaccinated
A few minutes before first pitch, the Dodgers announced that left-hander Victor González and right-hander Mitch White were put on the injured list. Outfielder DJ Peters and left-hander Garrett Cleavinger were recalled.
After the game, Roberts confirmed that White and González were dealing with side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine and could return to the roster soon. White and González were among the players who were vaccinated after Monday’s game.
Roberts said he’s fully vaccinated against COVID-19, but the club’s Tier 1 personnel remains short of the 85% vaccinated threshold MLB established as an incentive for loosened health and safety protocols.
“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.”
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