L.A. routs Reds
[Dodgers,
The Dodgers staged a mini-derby Saturday. Bellinger and Pederson went back-to-back as part of a five-run barrage against starter Asher Wojciechowski in the third inning. As the afternoon dragged on in the humid sludge of southwestern Ohio, Yasiel Puig supplied two solo homers.
The offense supported Hyun-Jin Ryu (3-6), who completed five ragged innings. He was inefficient but effective enough. Ryu yielded eight hits and held the Reds to two runs. The performance fit a pattern for Dodgers pitchers Saturday. As a group, Cincinnati batted one for 17 with runners in scoring position. The Reds hit three triples — and no member of the trio advanced the necessary 90 feet to score.
Bizarre as it was, the Dodgers maintained their domination over their hosts, having defeated Cincinnati five times in the last two weeks. The Dodgers have won eight of their last nine games, keeping up with the breakneck pace set by division rivals Colorado and Arizona.
Bellinger, 21, recorded the third three-hit game of his career, and his second this week. Since his arrival in late April, he has stabilized the team’s lineup while emerging as its most potent slugging force. He has exceeded the expectations of manager Dave Roberts — and perhaps his own expectations, as well.
“After a game, when you’re lying in bed, you’re like, ‘Is this really happening?’ ” Bellinger said. “But when you’re in between the lines, it’s the same game.”
The two teams traded runs in the first inning. The Dodgers produced one on doubles by Seager and Bellinger. The Reds countered by capitalizing on a mistake by newly converted outfielder Chris Taylor, who threw to the wrong base after a double by shortstop Zack Cozart.
In the third, Wojciechowski withered. His thirdinning collapse began with an error by Cozart, who let a grounder by Ryu sneak under his glove. Seager took a walk. Taylor atoned for his imprecise fielding by thumping a two-run double off the wall in left.
Up came Bellinger. He had finished a few feet away from a homer in his first atbat. He left no doubt in his second. He launched a changeupbeyond the rightfield fence.
“Cody Bellinger keeps hitting those balls to the street,” Puig said.
Pederson topped him in the next at-bat. He turned on a fastball and parked his fourth homer of the season about a dozen rows deep. It was Pederson’s second homer in as many games.
Up five runs, the Dodgers appeared safe. Except Ryu plunged the outcome back into question. The Reds opened the third inning with three singles. With the bases loaded, Ryu missed high and low to walk third baseman Eugenio Suarez and force in a run.
In the bullpen, Josh Fields loosened up. Former Dodger Scott Schebler lined out. Ryu saved himself by securing a ground ball hit by another former Dodger, Jose Peraza, to start an inningending pitcher-to-catcherto-first double play.
“If it wasn’t for that play, I probably wouldn’t have been able to pitch to the fifth inning,” Ryu said.
Roberts agreed. He was ready to pull the plug. Earlier in the weekend, Roberts had urged Ryu to attack from the first pitch onward, rather than ease into the game. Ryu could not meet that standard. He needed 50 pitches for the first two innings and almost capsized in the third.
Roberts credited Ryu for managing to get through five. But the Dodgers continue to evaluate their starters on a weekly basis, with Ryu, Kenta Maeda and now Rich Hill all potentially in jeopardy of being moved to the bullpen. Maeda will get a chance to make a good impression Sunday.
Maeda would be lucky to receive the run support handed to Ryu. The Dodgers poured on more offense as the afternoon trudged forward. Seager delivered an RBI single in the fourth. Puig hit a solo shot in the sixth, and repeated that feat to start the eighth.
“I’ve just been trying so hard to find that right pitch,” Puig said.
It’s a task that Bellinger has done 19 times since he debuted. By now, his ability has become well-known to his teammates and the people in Los Angeles. He might get a chance to show off to the rest of the country in the derby.
“The results, when you look at the stat sheet, it’s very impressive,” Roberts said. “But I think that with the process in place, Cody’s way ahead of schedule.”