Dodgers 3, Reds 2: Win streak reaches 6 despite Elly De La Cruz’s attempts to solo the Dodgers

Chad Moriyama 09/08/2026 Game Recaps Leave A Comment

The game was tied in the middle innings almost entirely thanks to Elly De La Cruz from the Reds side, both with his bat and arm, but the Dodgers used a rejuvenated Teoscar Hernandez to take a lead into the later innings. From there, a combination of Tarik Skubal, Edgardo Henriquez, and Tanner Scott locked it down late for a 3-2 win and six in a row.

======

Against Nick Lodolo, the Dodgers got off to a quick start for once thanks to Will Smith hitting his seventh homer of the year and first since May 29 for a 1-0 lead.

In the 2nd, a lead-off Teoscar Hernandez walk was followed by a pair of outs, but then Max Muncy singled and Enrique Hernandez drew a walk to get to the dreaded bases loaded situation. Tommy Edman has been a HBP magnet this year and that continued as he got hit on the thigh to force a run in. 2-0.

No big blow … because of course not.

——

That mattered almost immediately.

For the Dodgers, it was Tarik Skubal, and for a bit it looked like he might be cruising to a signature start, as he issued just a walk through two innings. He then got two outs to start the 3rd, but then gave up a single, which was followed by Elly De La Cruz absolutely unloading to left for a two-run shot to tie things at 2-2.

Hey … Elly, man.

No matter, Skubal got the final out of the 3rd and faced the minimum in the 4th after a lead-off single was erased by a double play. He faced an unlucky jam in the 5th after a one-out infield single, steal, and two-out error to corner the runners, but got De La Cruz to groundout.

He also faced the minimum in the 6th as a walk was erased by a double play, then got the 7th in order, and came back out for the 8th to get the first batter of that inning as well.

Not necessarily dominant, but efficient and effective from Skubal: 7.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 5 K, 94 Pitches.

Dave Roberts made the move to Edgardo Henriquez at that point, who got an infield pop and gave up a double to Elly. However, he rebounded with absolute paint for a strikeout to end the 8th.

——

As you can see, they left with the lead, though it was a winding road to get there.

Lodolo faced the minimum in the 3rd in the most adventurous way possible, as he struck out two and then gave up a triple to Teoscar Hernandez, on a diving attempt by Dane Myers in center. Teoscar tried for an inside-the-park homer, but Elly uncorked a 105.3 MPH relay to home to cut him down.

He then navigated around a lead-off double in the 4th, and had to try again in the 5th. A rally started with a one-out Mookie Betts walk and Will Smith HBP, and it won’t surprise you that the big two-out knock came from Teoscar to give the Dodgers a 3-2 lead.

That knocked Lodolo out of the game, but Julian Garcia got the final out of the 5th and stranded a one-out double in the 6th.

Luis Mey got the 7th after a lead-off walk was stranded by a strike ’em out, throw ’em out double play, and Graham Ashcraft left a lead-off single in the 8th.

——

All of that set things up for the suddenly struggling Tanner Scott in the 9th, aiming for a nice and tidy save. Maybe not so tidy as things started with a lead-off walk, but he then got two strikeouts in a row, though the latter came with a stolen base to put the tying run at second. Thankfully, there was no further drama, as a groundout locked it down.

======

NL SeedingRecordGB
Brewers90-56–
Dodgers88-571.5
Braves85-604.5

The series concludes tomorrow at 4:10 PM HT/7:10 PM PT/10:10 PM ET with Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the bump against Rhett Lowder.

About Chad Moriyama

Avatar photo
"A highly rational Internet troll." - Los Angeles Times
Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2014-2026 | Dodgers Digest | All Rights Reserved