Steve Webb
Dodgers drop second straight extra inning game, 5-3
In a sleepy night at Dodgers Stadium, the Dodgers fell behind the Cincinnati Reds on a sub-par Julio Urias performance. Then they came back to tie it up, and sent the game into extra innings. The Dodgers promptly lost it in the tenth inning when new reliever Kenley Jansen gave up a lead-off home run to Jesse Winker on the second pitch of the inning. The Reds took the first game of the three-game series by a count of 5-3.
Anything would have been a letdown after the intensity of the Padres series, and this first game of the three-game set against the struggling Reds was certainly that. Whereas usually we are complaining about the Dodgers leaving runners on base, on Monday night, the Dodgers didn’t really have that many runners in the first place. They only managed six hits for the entire night, so traffic on the bases was kept to a minimum by the Reds staff. Reds starter Tyler Mahle scattered five hits over five innings of work He gave up only one earned run and left the game with the lead.
Urias not quite on point tonight
The Reds’ offense managed to scratch a few runs across on Julio Urias early. In the second inning, Jesse Winker led off with a single, which was followed up by a Nick Castellanos double to put Reds on second and third with no outs. They plated their first run on a RBI groundout and their second on a sac fly. Urias managed to get out of the inning without any further damage, but the Dodgers were in another hole that they needed to climb out of. Urias gave up another run on a HBP, a sac bunt, and a single in the next inning, but that was the extent of the Reds production off the Dodgers starter.
It was, an okay start for Urias: 5 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 5 K. Not bad, but the Dodgers’ slide needed to be stopped in its tracks tonight and the Urias no-decision was not what was needed tonight.
Lux returns, Seager heats up
There were a couple of bright spots on the offensive side. One, the return of Gavin Lux. In his first day back from the IL, Luxy smoked a ball through the infield in the bottom of the fourth to score the Dodgers’ first run of the night. Hopefully, Lux will get back into the groove quickly, as this lineup is in dire need of some spark.
In addition, Corey Seager had a nice night at the plate. Though slumping through much of the weekend series with San Diego, the Dodgers shortstop managed at 2-for-4 night, including the hitting highlight of the evening, a seventh inning two-run dinger to tie the score.
Late Inning Disappointment. Again.
The two teams traded uneventful innings the rest of the way until the close of regulation. Mitch White, a fresh call-up now that David Price is on the IL, pitched well in his first action of the season, as did Brusdar Graterol, Dennis Santana, and Scott Alexander. In fact the bullpen was having a bit of a bounce back day until the second pitch of the tenth inning. On an 0-1 count, slugger Jesse Winker took Kenley Jansen deep, scoring two runs due to these silly extra innings protocols.
These days, this kind of spot is not great for Jansen. He is terrible at holding runners on and always pitches better when starting a clean inning. However, Dave Roberts chose to go with his closer in the first extra frame tonight, and almost immediately paid the price.
The Dodgers managed a walk in the bottom of the tenth, but that was it. Luke Raley struck out to end the game and that was that. The Reds, who had lost seven in a row prior to Monday’s contest, are now 10-12. The Dodgers, still with the best record in the bigs, fell to 15-8. Both teams lace it up again Tuesday night at 7:10 pm. Walker Buehler takes the mound for the home team.
