The Los Angeles Dodgers began their eight-game road trip with a bang and behind Rich Hill’s best start of the season in a 6-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds. L.A. became the first team to 30 wins this season.
After going down in order on seven pitches in the first inning, the Dodgers jumped on Anthony DeSclafani in the second as he failed to retire the first three batters. Cody Bellinger led the inning off with a double, and Corey Seager’s home run gave the Dodgers a 2-0 lead.
Alex Verdugo kept the pressure on with a double, but was stranded. Joc Pederson led off the third inning with a line-drive home run to left field, which was then followed by Max Muncy clubbing his ninth home run of the season.
For Pederson, each of his 14 homers this year have come against a right-hander, which is tied with Milwaukee Brewers right fielder and reigning National League MVP Christian Yelich for the MLB lead.
Bellinger hit the Dodgers’ third home run of the game in the eighth inning to put the Reds in a 6-0 hole.
The early run support gave Hill breathing room as he remained on the attack throughout the night. He retired the first 10 batters in order, with six coming by way of strikeout. Back-to-back singles by Joey Votto and Eugenio Suarez with one out in the fourth inning snapped that string.
Hill promptly struck out Yasiel Puig on three pitches for a second time, and preserved the Dodgers’ 4-0 lead by getting Jose Iglesias swinging. That marked a stretch of Hill retiring the final eight batters to get through six shutout innings.
It marked Hill’s first scoreless outing this season, first win and first time completing six innings since doing so in his 2019 debut. Hill’s 10 strikeouts were one shy of matching a career high.
If there was any reason for the Dodgers to be concerned, Justin Turner fouled a pitch off his left shin and was removed two innings later because of what the team called a contusion. Turner wears a protective shin guard but the ball struck his leg just above the padding.
