The Reds got another 10-strikeout performance from Chase Burns, but the Cincinnati offense struggled to get going after scoring a run in the 1st inning and the Dodgers were able to put up two 2-run innings in the middle innings to put the game away.
| Final | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Dodgers (62-45) | 5 | 9 | 0 |
| Cincinnati Reds (56-51) | 2 | 6 | 1 |
| W: Yamamoto (9-7) L: Burns (0-3) SV: Dreyer (1) | |||
| Statcast | Box Score | Game Thread | |||
Mookie Betts started the game with a double into the left field corner. Two batters later he came around to score on a grounder that found a hole and made it through the infield for an RBI hit by Teoscar Hernandez to put the Dodgers in front. Chase Burns settled in from there and struck out the next two batters to end the top half of the inning.
Cincinnati would get that run back in their half of the inning after they loaded the bases with one out on singles by Matt McLain and Austin Hays sandwiched around a walk by Elly De La Cruz. Gavin Lux his a soft chopper to bring a run in. Spencer Steer hit the ball hard, but his line drive was caught near the warning track in left field to end the Reds threat.
The home team would threaten again in the 3rd inning when TJ Friedl led off with a double and took third on a single by Elly De La Cruz. After a strikeout from Austin Hays, De La Cruz swiped second base to put himself in scoring position, but a pop up would end the inning and strand both runners.
Chase Burns found himself in trouble in the 5th inning after Miguel Rojas picked up a hustle double on a grounder that just got by Noelvi Marte. After a strikeout, another grounder to Marte got by him on a sliding attempt where the ball went off of his glove and into the outfield that left runners on the corners for Shohei Ohtani. The most impressive player of perhaps any generation, Ohtani didn’t let the chance to drive in runs go by as he doubled to the wall in center to bring in both runners and make it 3-1.
In the 6th inning Burns found himself in some trouble again. After a fly out began the inning, the Reds right-handed starter struck out Michael Conforto but the 10th strikeout victim of the game reached first as the final strike got by Tyler Stephenson. A sacrifice bunt was laid down by Hyeseong Kim and Burns fielded it and airmailed it to first, leading to runners on the corners. Miguel Rojas followed with a bunt of his own, but Spencer Steer was charging and fielded it and flipped to Stephenson at the plate to get Conforto. That ended the day for Burns as the Reds called on Sam Moll with two on and two out to try and get out of the jam. He did just that while throwing one pitch and getting a lineout to right field.
Cincinnati turned the game over to Scott Barlow in the 7th and the Dodgers began the inning with back-to-back walks. They followed that up with back-to-back RBI singles to add two more runs to their lead before Barlow picked up a strikeout to record his only out of the inning. The Reds went back to the bullpen to bring in Taylor Rogers who was able to get out of the inning thanks to a nice play by Elly De La Cruz on a ball that got by a diving Noelvi Marte that the shortstop was able to grab and make a throw on the run to get the out at first.
After seven innings of 1-run ball from Yoshinobu Yamamoto the Dodgers turned things over to their bullpen. Alex Vesia walked Matt McLain in the 8th inning but got out of there unscathed.
Blake Treinen took over in the 9th with a 4-run lead and was looking to hold onto it in his first game since April 13th. Gavin Lux started the inning with a walk and he took second on a 1-out single by Tyler Stephenson. Will Benson then drove in a run with a single of his own. TJ Friedl drew a 2-out walk to load the bases, bringing Matt McLain to the plate as the potential winning run. Before he came to the plate the Dodgers went to their bullpen and brought in Jack Dreyer and he put out the fire by getting a groundout to strand all three runners as Los Angeles picked up a win in the first game of the series.
Key Moment of the Game
The 7th inning that saw the Dodgers put up two more runs and extend their lead to four runs.
Notes Worth Noting
The Reds only had one extra-base hit in the game.
Chase Burns had 10 strikeouts and one walk. It was his third straight game with 10 or more strikeouts. He’s just the 8th pitcher to do that while being 22 or younger. Only three pitchers have had more than three straight at 22 or younger – Dwight Gooden in 1984 with five, Al Downing in 1963 with four, and Bob Feller in 1938 with four.
Up Next for the Cincinnati Reds
Los Angeles Dodgers vs Cincinnati Reds
Tuesday July 29th, 7:10pm ET
Tyler Glasnow (1-1, 2.75 ERA) vs Nick Lodolo (8-6, 3.08 ERA)
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