CINCINNATI — In some ways, the Dodgers had no business coming out on top of Tuesday night’s 5-4 win over the Reds at Great American Ball Park. But then again, they had no business losing either.
Tyler Glasnow had his shakiest outing since returning from the 60-day IL, allowing four runs across four-plus innings and ending his evening with more walks (five) than hits (four) or strikeouts (three). The offense got the job done, but also struck out 14 times.
But the Dodgers found a way to win, a quality that has been lacking as they’ve scuffled through July.
Will Smith came through with a go-ahead RBI double with two outs in the top of the ninth, and Alex Vesia locked it down in the bottom half of the inning to help the Dodgers secure a series win over the Reds. They’ll go for the sweep in Wednesday’s finale.
Jack Dreyer took over for Glasnow with the bases loaded and nobody out in the fifth inning and, along with Ben Casparius, allowed just one of the inherited runners to score. That kept the Dodgers behind by a pair of runs, a deficit they erased with a two-run seventh inning courtesy of RBI knocks from Smith and Freddie Freeman.
The arms who followed — Anthony Banda, Alexis Díaz and Vesia — did not permit a run the rest of the way.
