LOS ANGELES [Sports Desk]: Tarik Skubal delivered another strong outing for Los Angeles, working into the eighth inning as the Dodgers held off the Cincinnati Reds 3-2 on Tuesday to extend their winning streak to six games.
Will Smith ended a lengthy home-run drought with a first-inning solo shot, while Teoscar Hernandez provided the decisive hit in the fifth as Los Angeles improved to 88-57. The Dodgers remained 1 1/2 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers, who stood at 90-56, in the race for the best record in the major leagues.
Skubal, making his seventh start for Los Angeles since arriving from the Detroit Tigers at the trade deadline, improved to 9-7. The left-hander allowed two runs on four hits across 7 1/3 innings, issuing two walks and recording five strikeouts.
The Dodgers were again without designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, who missed his fifth game in the team’s last six while dealing with discomfort in his left knee and right biceps.
Smith opened the scoring with two outs in the first inning, launching his seventh home run of the season. Los Angeles added another run in the second after loading the bases, with Tommy Edman scoring when he was hit by a pitch from Cincinnati starter Nick Lodolo.
The Reds answered in the third inning through Elly De La Cruz, who tied the game with a towering 444-foot homer to left field. The blast was his 25th of the season, matching his career high.
De La Cruz nearly changed the game again later in the inning. Hernandez appeared to have a chance at an inside-the-park home run, but De La Cruz’s throw from shallow center field reached home in time to cut down the potential scoring play.
Los Angeles regained control in the fifth. Mookie Betts drew a walk, Smith was hit by a pitch and Hernandez followed with a single into right-center field to bring home the go-ahead run.
Lodolo, a native of the Los Angeles area, was charged with three runs on five hits over 4 2/3 innings. He struck out six and walked three as his record fell to 3-4.
De La Cruz’s performance was one of the few bright spots for Cincinnati, which dropped to 69-76 and opened its six-game road trip with consecutive defeats. He has homered in four straight games and is batting .455 since Aug. 22.
Tanner Scott closed out the victory by working a scoreless ninth inning for his 22nd save of the season.
