Tarik Skubal threw seven scoreless innings and Teoscar Hernandez hit a two-run homer as the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Cincinnati Reds 4-1 on Monday night to clinch a playoff spot.
Skubal (10-7) allowed three hits — all singles — while striking out nine and walking one for Los Angeles (91-59), which earned a postseason berth for the 14th straight year and pulled within two games of the Milwaukee Brewers for the National League’s best record. Skubal is 2-0 with a 1.73 ERA in his last four starts.
Nick Lodolo (3-5) threw seven innings of four-run, three-hit ball as he struck out four and walked four in his longest outing of the season. The left-hander’s personal winless stretch extended to eight starts in the loss.
Elly De La Cruz connected for his 27th homer of the year in the ninth inning for the Reds’ only run. Cincinnati (70-80) has dropped six of its last seven and its elimination number dropped to one.
Los Angeles struck first in the second inning as Kyle Tucker belted a solo homer — his 15th of the season and his third in his last five games.
Tucker worked a two-out walk in the fourth and scored on Hernandez’s two-run homer that gave the Dodgers a 3-0 edge.
The Reds threatened in the fifth. Juan Brito singled and JJ Bleday walked with one out, but Skubal struck out Ke’Bryan Hayes and Hector Rodriguez to keep Cincinnati off the board.
After Hernandez walked and stole second in the seventh, Enrique Hernandez lined an RBI double to center to make it 4-0.
Luis Mey tossed a perfect eighth in relief of Lodolo.
Alex Vesia entered for Skubal and threw a clean eighth. In the ninth, Evan Phillips struck out pinch hitter Carlos Jorge before allowing De La Cruz’s 457-foot blast to center. Phillips then retired Sal Stewart and Tyler Stephenson to end the game.
