The Los Angeles Dodgers did what they could to earn a win against the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday.
The Los Angeles Dodgers earned a narrow 3-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium.
The victory was Los Angeles’ sixth in a row, and it also secured the series win over the Reds.
Skubal goes the distance
It has been more than a month since the Dodgers traded for Tarik Skubal, and he made his seventh start for them on Tuesday.
While it was not his most flashy performance, Skubal provided a long outing, which once again illustrated that he can win in a number of ways. The 29-year-old, back-to-back Cy Young Award winner worked 7.1 innings and struck out five batters in that span.
Skubal had some blemishes as well. The Reds drew two walks and had four hits off him, the most notable of which was a two-run home run by Elly De La Cruz in the top of the third inning that tied the game.
Still, Skubal’s longevity meant that manager Dave Roberts only had to rely on two relievers after his ace’s evening was over. Skubal got the win, improving his record to 9-7 this season.
Doing just enough
Without Shohei Ohtani in the lineup, the Dodgers’ offense looks much different, and it is clearly weaker.
Ohtani missed Tuesday’s game after returning to the lineup on Monday after a four-game absence, but another absence illustrates growing concern about the four-time MVP’s health after he made it clear on Monday that the rest of the 2026 season will be focused on hitting.
Without Ohtani in the lineup, the Dodgers did just enough to get the win, but it was not pretty. Los Angeles logged seven hits in 29 at-bats and drew four walks while striking out seven times.
The Dodgers drew first blood when Will Smith hit a solo home run to left field in the bottom of the first inning, and they scored again in the second when Tommy Edman was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
After Cincinnati tied the game in the third, Los Angeles went scoreless in the fourth before Teoscar Hernandez hit an RBI single to reclaim the lead for his team. From there, it was on Skubal and the bullpen not to give up anything else the rest of the way.
With the win, the Dodgers improved to 88-57 and remain 1.5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers for the best record in baseball. On Wednesday, they will have the opportunity to sweep the Reds and continue their winning streak.
