The Los Angeles Dodgers made history Wednesday night, defeating the Cincinnati Reds 5-1 at Dodger Stadium and completing their first sweep of the season. The night was particularly remarkable on the mound, as Dodgers pitchers combined for 19 strikeouts in a nine-inning game, the most in at least the last 125 seasons, according to Sarah Langs of MLB.com.
Shohei Ohtani earned his first win as a Dodger, pitching in front of his own commemorative bobblehead night celebrating his 2024 50-50 season. In his longest outing yet for Los Angeles, Ohtani threw five innings, allowing just one run on two hits while striking out a season-high nine batters.
He worked 87 pitches, with 53 strikes, and showcased his full repertoire, including a curveball he deployed 23 times, more than double his usage in his first 10 starts with the Dodgers. His four-seamer touched 100.3 mph four times, and he induced 14 swinging strikes on the night, with five coming on his sweeper and four more on his curveball.
Shohei Ohtani’s start was not without early drama. In a laborious second inning, he issued back-to-back walks and threw two wild pitches but escaped the jam with three strikeouts. The only run he surrendered came on Noelvi Marte’s third-inning solo homer, his third allowed this season. Ohtani retired the final eight batters he faced.
The Dodgers’ offense provided crucial support, especially in a four-run fourth inning that turned the game in L.A.’s favor. Kike Hernandez, filling in for the injured Freddie Freeman, had a two-run single up the middle, followed by a two-run seeing-eye single from prospect Dalton Rushing after an intentional walk to Miguel Rojas reloaded the bases. Michael Conforto added a solo homer in the eighth, snapping an 83-plate-appearance drought and providing insurance runs.
Dodgers relievers Jack Dreyer, Justin Wrobleski, Edgardo Henriquez, and Blake Treinen all contributed scoreless innings, combining for 10 strikeouts and maintaining the dominance initiated by Ohtani.
Opposing pitcher Nick Lodolo (8-7, 3.22 ERA) started strong for Cincinnati, retiring the first nine batters he faced and striking out five. However, the Dodgers capitalized on a series of well-placed hits and some fortunate bounces, particularly in the fourth inning, turning a perfect outing into a troublesome frame for the Reds. Despite late-inning opportunities, Cincinnati failed to convert with runners in scoring position, going 0-for-6 in those situations.
The victory pushed the Dodgers’ winning streak to four games, improving their record to 77-57 and giving them a two-game lead over the San Diego Padres in the National League West. The sweep also was the Reds’ first of the season, dropping them to 68-66 and 4.5 games out of the Wild Card race.
The Dodgers will have an off day on Thursday before welcoming the Arizona Diamondbacks for a three-game series starting Friday at 7:10 p.m. PT on SportsNet LA and MLB Network.
