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Dodgers aiming to recapture momentum against faltering Reds
Dodgers’ Recent Performance
After taking their first break in two weeks, the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are in first place in the NL West, look to get back on track as they head to Cincinnati to start a three- game series against the Reds on Friday.
The Dodgers finished a challenging series of 13 games in succession with next to no rest, finishing with a record of 7 victories and 6 misfortunes. Their seven-game homestand finished with a 6-0 misfortune to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday, which was just their third shutout loss of the time. Despite the fact that they dominated the underlying three matches versus the Reds, the Dodgers lost the last two games against the Diamondbacks, finishing up the homestand with a 4-3 record.
” I thought it was gon na be great. You know, we were 7- 4 for a minute there,” Dodgers director Dave Roberts said.” And then the last many games, I just thought we just did not play well, did not swing the bat, and we lost a series.”
Roberts remains optimistic about the team’s performance despite recent setbacks.” I think overall, it was still a good stretch for us. There is clearly a lot we can improve in each facet of the game, but our pitching has been really solid,” he said.
Prior to yielding 13 runs in their last two games against Arizona, the Dodgers had permitted only 32 runs over the previous 11 games. The group has felt the shortfall of Max Muncy, who’s on the harmed list with a right sideways strain. The Dodgers have been held to four runs or less in six of their once eight games, yet they keep up with a61/2 game lead over the San Diego Padres in the NL West.
Reds’ Struggles
Meanwhile, the Reds have struggled significantly, winning just six of their last 26 games and falling to the bottom of the NL Central. On Thursday, they rallied from a three-run deficit to tie the Padres, only to lose 6-4 in 10 innings. This marked their eighth consecutive series loss since splitting a four-game series with the Philadelphia Phillies.
“This is a results-oriented business, not the ‘try league,'” Reds catcher Luke Maile said. “You have to get it done. Within that, there’s a lot of process stuff that we’re sticking to, and we will because we’re adults and we’re big leaguers. We have a bunch of talented guys who care about each other. There’s no quit in here.”
Pitching Matchup
The Dodgers will send left-hander James Paxton (5-0, 2.84 Time) to the hill in the series opener. Paxton permitted three sudden spikes in demand for seven hits more than six or more innings in a no-choice during the Dodgers’ 7-3 win over the Reds last Friday. This will be Paxton’s third vocation start against Cincinnati, holding a 0-0 record with a 3.27 Period in his past trips.
The Reds will counter with right-hander Graham Ashcraft (3-3, 4.25 ERA), who took the loss against the Dodgers last Saturday, giving up three runs on three hits over five innings in a 4-0 defeat. Ashcraft has a 1-2 record with a 3.95 ERA in three previous starts against the Dodgers.
Game Outlook
The Dodgers will plan for their re-visitation of winning routes in the primary round of the series against a striving Reds group hoping to end their terrible streak. The Dodgers want to make the most of their day off and Paxton’s strong throwing to start the series well, while the Reds are determined to turn things around and win an important game. Fans can expect a completely exhilarating game when these two gatherings struggle in Cincinnati.
