CINCINNATI — The Dodgers clinched a playoff spot Monday night, and Tarik Skubal made sure the celebration started with a shutout bid, throwing seven scoreless innings before the bullpen let one slip through late in a 4-1 win over the Reds at Great American Ball Park.
A Postseason Spot Secured
Los Angeles improved to 91-59 with the win, punching its ticket to October behind a lineup that got the job done early and a starting rotation that has carried the load all series. It’s the kind of night that will get lost a little in the day to day grind of a 162 game season, but for a team that has dealt with injuries up and down the roster all year, locking up a playoff spot with real breathing room left in September is worth pausing on.
Tucker and Teoscar Give Skubal Support
Kyle Tucker got things started in the second, turning on a pitch from Nick Lodolo for a solo homer to right that put LA up 1-0.
Teoscar Hernández added to it in the fourth. Tucker worked a walk, and Hernández followed with a two run homer to right center, his 14th of the year, that pushed the lead to 3-0 and gave Skubal all the cushion he would end up needing.
Skubal Dominant Into the Eighth
Skubal was in control most of the night, working seven scoreless innings and striking out nine while allowing just three hits and a single walk. He ran into his stiffest test in the fifth, when Cincinnati put runners at second and third with two outs after a single, a walk and a wild pitch, but he struck out Héctor Rodríguez to escape the inning without damage and kept rolling from there.
Insurance in the Seventh
Los Angeles tacked on more breathing room in the seventh. Teoscar Hernández drew a walk and stole second, and Kiké Hernández lined a single to center to bring him home, making it 4-0 and putting the game further out of reach for a Reds offense that had done little against Skubal all night.
De La Cruz Spoils the Shutout Bid
Alex Vesia worked a clean eighth to keep the shutout intact, but Evan Phillips ran into trouble in the ninth. Elly De La Cruz turned on a fastball for a solo homer to center that got Cincinnati on the board and briefly threatened to make things interesting, before Phillips retired the next two batters to close out the 4-1 win.
Up Next
The series continues Tuesday with Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the mound against Rhett Lowder. First pitch from Great American Ball Park is scheduled for 3:40 p.m. PST.
