LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers outmuscled the Cincinnati Reds in a battle of strikeouts and power, powered by Teoscar Hernández’s three-run home run and a green light for starter Emmet Sheehan.
Hernández delivered the decisive swing with a three-run homer that provided the separation in a game defined by swing-and-miss stuff on both sides. Sheehan, wearing No. 80, took the mound for Los Angeles with all systems go after previously being held back, giving the Dodgers length and strikeout ability to match the Reds’ arms.
The matchup tilted on power versus contact, with both staffs generating strikeouts but Los Angeles capitalizing on the one big swing. Hernández’s homer turned traffic into immediate damage, a tactical edge in a low-margin game where extra-base power outweighed sequential offense.
The result gives Los Angeles continued momentum as it manages its pitching depth, with Sheehan’s full availability adding a needed option for the rotation and bullpen down the stretch. For Cincinnati, the power gap proved decisive in a contest where strikeouts limited rally chances.