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Los Angeles is back on top. With Tuesday night’s win over the Reds, the Dodgers snagged their third win in a row and made their way back to first place in the National League West, tied with the San Diego Padres.
The Dodgers were in sync on USC night at Dodger Stadium.
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The offense conquered the game with their small ball, driving in six runs on 13 hits and one walk. Alex Verdugo led the team in runs batted in on Tuesday. He acquired three RBIs in the Dodgers 6-1 victory. He opened up the scoring in the first inning, hitting a two-out single to drive in Corey Seager. Verdugo was placed in another two-on, two-out situation in the seventh, this time doubling to drive in both runners on base.
Joc Pederson collected two RBIs in the 2nd inning courtesy of a home run - his 8th of the season. After Pederson cleared the bases, three singles in a row would drive in one more run to make the score 4-0.
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The bats were backed by a strong pitching performance from Kenta Maeda. Maeda allowed one run off of four hits and three walks in his 6 2⁄3 innings pitched. The only run he allowed came from back-to-back doubles from Tyler Mahle and Joey Votto. Other than that small flicker, Maeda was lights out.
The Reds did threaten to make a comeback in the fourth inning when Mahle stepped into the batters box with the bases loaded. This time, Mahle didn’t get the best of Maeda - he struck out to end the inning. The bullpen was able to hold the lead for the remainder of the game. The pitching did not allow a hit after the 5th inning and the pen combined to retire all seven batters faced.
Player of the game
Alex Verdugo continues to impress with his appearances. On Tuesday, Verdugo went 3-for-4 without striking out.
| 4 AB | 0 R | 3 H | 3 RBI | 0 K |
Just two days ago, the Dodgers skipper spoke about how he is impressed with the 22-year-old’s performance. In the following video (starting at 1:09), Roberts said Verdugo is earning more responsibility with his “quality at-bats.”
Dave Roberts talks post-game about @RossStripling's effective & efficient outing, Alex Verdugo's impact at the plate, and more. #Dodgers pic.twitter.com/4HLiiYKEtv
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) April 14, 2019
Look ahead
The Dodgers send Walker Buehler to the bump to try to complete the series sweep of the Cincinnati Reds. First pitch is scheduled for 12:10 pm PDT.