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‘He’s kind of the stopper.’ Clayton Kershaw helps Dodgers end their skid
CINCINNATI — Of the many missing ingredients that have afflicted the Dodgers’ struggling pitching staff, one has started looming large among the rest.
The team’s starters haven’t pitched nearly deep enough into games.
And, as evidenced by their 22nd-ranked team earned run average, it has led to a slew of cascading side effects.
“It’s important,” manager Dave Roberts said about starting pitching length. “With relievers as volatile as they are, to put them in stressful games every night, to have to use certain guys every night, it gets taxing.”
Dodgers snap four-game losing streak in 6-0 win
⚾ Dodgers 6, Reds 0 — FINAL
Top of the ninth: David Peralta picked up his fourth hit today on a single to right. Miguel Vargas lined out to left and Chris Taylor lined out to short. Reds reliever Ian Gilbert intentionally walked James Outman before Austin Barnes took a 95-mph fastball off his right wrist. After a quick look from the team trainer, Barnes took first and stayed in the game. Mookie Betts grounded out to end the frame.
Bottom of the ninth: Tayler Scott oversaw a 1-2-3 inning to secure the win and snap the Dodgers’ four-game losing streak ahead of a three-game road series against the Philadelphia Phillies starting Friday.
Clayton Kershaw pitched seven shutout innings, allowing five hits, walking two and striking out nine to improve to 8-4 on the season. David Peralta had four hits to continue his recent hot streak at the plate.
Freddie Freeman drove in the game’s first run on a single in the third inning and Peralta followed with a two-run single. Chris Taylor led off the fourth with a solo home run. Austin Barnes and Freeman drove in the Dodgers’ final runs later in the inning.
Dodgers lead Reds 6-0 heading into the ninth inning
⚾ Dodgers 6, Reds 0 — End of the eighth
Top of the eighth: Facing Reds reliever Ian Gilbert, Mookie Betts flied out before Freddie Freeman picked up the Dodgers’ 11th hit of the day and his second on a single to left. J.D. Martinez flied out and Max Muncy struck out.
Bottom of the eighth: Tayler Scott took over for Clayton Kershaw and got Kevin Newman to fly out to left. Matt McLain followed with a double off the wall in right-center field for the Reds’ second extra-base hit of the day. Jonathan India flied to deep right, moving McLain to third. Scott struck out Elly De La Cruz to send the game to the ninth.
Clayton Kershaw continues to shine as Dodgers hold six-run lead
⚾ Dodgers 6, Reds 0 — End of the seventh
Top of the seventh: Max Muncy flied out and David Peralta grounded out before Miguel Vargas extended his hitting streak to six games on a single to center. Chris Taylor followed with a single to right. James Outman loaded the bases with a single to second that was gloved on a spectacular effort by Jonathan India, who couldn’t make a play at first but prevented the Dodgers from scoring. Austin Barnes grounded out to the pitcher to strand three.
Bottom of the seventh: TJ Hopkins grounded out, Jose Barrero struck out and Curt Casali grounded out. Over seven shutout innings, Kershaw allowed five hits, two walks and struck out nine on 98 pitches.
Clayton Kershaw gets out of jam in the sixth inning
⚾ Dodgers 6, Reds 0 — End of the sixth
Top of the sixth: Facing Reds reliever Eduardo Salazar, Austin Barnes and Mookie Betts each lined out. Freddie Freeman walked before J.D. Martinez struck out.
Bottom of the sixth: Matt McLain and Jonathan India led off with singles. After Clayton Kershaw committed a pitch-clock violation, he benefited from a couple of gracious calls from home plate umpire Ron Kulpa to strike out Elly De La Cruz. Spencer Steer popped out to second and Tyler Stephenson struck out to leave runners on the corners for the Reds.
Dodgers lead Reds 6-0 in the fifth inning
⚾ Dodgers 6, Reds 0 — End of the fifth
Top of the fifth: David Peralta led with a single before Miguel Vargas struck out. Chris Taylor grounded out into a force out and James Outman grounded out.
Bottom of the fifth: Tyler Stephenson flied out to left and Clayton Kershaw struck out TJ Hopkins. Kershaw had to duck out of the way on a speedy comebacker off the bat of Jose Barrero that bounced into center for a single. Curt Casali drew a walk, then Kershaw struck out Kevin Newman on a 92-mph fastball for his sixth punchout of the day. Kershaw has give up three hits, two walks and has struck out six over 69 pitches.
Chris Taylor homer sparks three-run fourth for Dodgers
⚾ Dodgers 6, Reds 0 — End of the fourth
Top of the fourth: Chris Taylor led off with a 401-foot home run to center field to extend the Dodgers’ lead. It was Taylor’s 10th home run of the season. Austin Barnes doubled to the wall in left field to drive in James Outman. Mookie Betts followed with a single to left before Freddie Freeman plated Barnes on a sacrifice fly to right. Max Muncy popped out behind first to end the frame.
Bottom of the fourth: Jonathan India flied out, Elly De La Cruz struck out and Spencer Steer grounded out.
Freddie Freeman and David Peralta push Dodgers into lead
⚾ Dodgers 3, Reds 0 — End of the third
Top of the third: Graham Ashcraft hit James Outman with a pitch. After Austin Barnes grounded out, Mookie Betts was hit by a pitch. Freddie Freeman got the Dodgers on the board with a single to left, scoring Outman. J.D. Martinez lined out, then Max Muncy drew a walk to load the bases. David Peralta followed with a single to center, scoring Betts and Freeman. Freeman just barely beat the tag from Reds catcher Curt Casali after Freeman did not slide into home plate.
Peralta’s two-RBI single ended Ashcraft’s day, with reliever Fernando Cruz taking over. Miguel Vargas flied out to center to wrap up the frame.
Bottom of third: Clayton Kershaw struck out Jose Barrero and Casali grounded out. Kevin Newman followed with a double into the left-field corner. Kershaw struck out Matt McLain with an 88-mph slider to leave Newman stranded.
David Peralta singles to continue his hot 30-day run
⚾ Dodgers 0, Reds 0 — End of the second
Top of the second: David Peralta singled on a sharp liner to right before Miguel Vargas hit a bouncing comebacker to Graham Ashcraft that sparked a 1-4-3 double play. Ashcraft struck out Chris Taylor to end his nine-pitch second inning.
Bottom of the second: Elly De La Cruz led off with a grounder up the middle that was a bit too far away for Dodgers second baseman Miguel Vargas to corral and make an accurate throw to first. After Spencer Steer popped out, De La Cruz stole second. Tyler Stephenson flied out right. TJ Hopkins grounded out to second for the final out.
Dodgers and Reds scoreless heading into second inning
⚾ Dodgers 0, Reds 0 — End of the first inning
Top of the first: Facing Cincinnati starter Graham Ashcraft, Mookie Betts grounded out before Freddie Freeman walked. He was left stranded when J.D Martinez and Max Muncy each flied out.
Bottom of the first: Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw opened with a rare, four-pitch walk against Kevin Newman. Kershaw then struck out Matt McLain. Jonathan Indian grounded out into a 6-4-3 double play to cap the inning.
Noah Syndergaard’s return timeline unclear after being placed on injured list
CINCINNATI — Technically, Noah Syndergaard was placed on the injured list Thursday morning because of a finger blister.
But really, the move was just as much about giving the struggling 30-year-old a physical, mental and emotional reset after his dismal start to the season.
According to manager Dave Roberts, Syndergaard flew back to Los Angeles on Thursday, where he is expected to remain for however long it takes to discover a breakthrough in his game.
“I don’t know the timetable,” Roberts said. “There’s a lot of things that we got to kind of tap into.”
Through 12 difficult starts this year, the $13-million offseason signing has struggled in all facets:
His fastball velocity was down from even his career-low last season, averaging below 93 mph.
His secondary pitches were inconsistent, plagued by command struggles with his changeup and movement with his cutter.
Noah Syndergaard has been working with the Dodgers’ mental skills coach, trying to find the form that once made him so dominant.
And most of all, his confidence had disappeared, epitomized by somber postgame quotes — including his admission last week that he would “give my hypothetical first born to be the old me again” — and behind-the-scenes work on his mindset with mental skills coaches.
“It’s taken a toll on him,” Roberts said. “Trying to perform when you’re searching at this level is extremely difficult. I applaud him for not running from it, but it’s difficult.”
Roberts remained hopeful that Syndergaard could return later this season, that his Dodgers campaign might still be a “tale of two halves.”
But for now, his chances of him making another start for the Dodgers are unclear at best.
After arriving in L.A. hoping to revitalize his career, Thursday’s move instead dropped Syndergaard to yet another nadir.
Starting lineups for Dodgers vs. Reds on Thursday
Here are today’s starting lineups for the Dodgers vs. Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ballpark. First pitch is scheduled for 9:35 a.m. PDT.
Where does top prospect Diego Cartaya fit into the Dodgers’ future plans?
TULSA, Okla. — Diego Cartaya devoured a sandwich as he walked into the suite at ONEOK Field and noticed the high school baseball game happening below. He was told one of the teams was from Commerce, Mickey Mantle’s hometown. The Dodgers’ top prospect nodded. He continued eating. The factoid didn’t quite resonate.
Cartaya comes from a place far from this stop in Oklahoma, where tornadoes loom every spring and the Dodgers’ double-A affiliate serves as a downtown entertainment hub. Maracay is a Venezuelan city near the country’s Caribbean coast with a population of nearly 1 million. It is home to several prominent baseball players. Future Hall of Famer Miguel Cabrera is its most famous export. Cartaya aspires to join the list.
“My goal is to be healthy and continue learning,” Cartaya said in Spanish. “Let them or God decide when it’s my opportunity to get there — whether it’s this year or next year or in two years or tomorrow.”
Wednesday recap: Noah Syndergaard put on injured list after another poor start
CINCINNATI — When it comes to their approach with Noah Syndergaard lately, the Dodgers have looked like a desperate blackjack player unable to leave the table.
Lose, bet again.
Lose, bet again.
Lose, bet yet again.
On Wednesday, that latest gamble worked out the same way as the others.
Syndergaard was rocked by the Cincinnati Reds young lineup, giving up six runs in three dismal innings. He failed to stop their running game, allowing successful steals on all four attempts.
Despite being gifted two early leads, he also couldn’t keep the Dodgers in front at Great American Ball Park, his struggles hampering the club in an 8-6 loss that was decided by Will Benson’s two-run, walk-off home run in the ninth against Evan Phillips.
Dodgers TV schedule for remainder of regular season
Here’s a look at the Dodgers TV schedule for the 2023 regular season. All times and broadcast/streaming options are subject to change.
