When the Cincinnati Reds rolled into town for a four-game series with the Dodgers on Thursday night, they did so as the worst team in the National League. When they roll out of town on Sunday afternoon, the Dodgers could very well be within two losses on having that dubious honor.

Much like Thursday’s series opener, Friday’s game was essentially over in the first inning, when a clearly ineffective Kenta Maeda allowed a leadoff double, followed by a strikeout, followed by two singles, followed by another strikeout, followed by a walk, followed by a fly out to right – all of which took nearly a half hour and 34 pitches.

Even though the 30-year-old Senboku-gun, Japan native didn’t allow a run in the second inning, he did allow two more in the third and two more in the fifth before the Dodgers finally managed to put a run on the board in their half of the fifth inning.

When the dust (and tears) finally settled, it was once again the opposing team doing the victory line thing under the lights at Dodger Stadium, with the Dodgers having suffered the eventual 6-2 loss.

With the loss, the Dodgers have now lost six of eight against the Reds, the Miami Marlins, and the San Diego Padres – the three worst teams in the National League … for now.

For the second night in a row, a visibly upset Dave Roberts began his postgame interview with the words “I don’t know” when asked about his offense that, yet again, left a boatload of runners in scoring position (nine), but managed to score only one of them. This verbatim:

“Ah … I don’t know. I know that it’s just not happening, it’s not ah … everyone’s … everyone’s … they’re all trying … they’re all trying hard and it’s just not happening.

“So, um … guys are getting on base and you know, you’re waiting for that hit, productive out, something like that. But right now, for our guys collectively, it’s just not happening.

“We know we’re better than this. We’ve got to keep believing it. It hasn’t shown itself recently. But I think to ah … to just keep grinding, I mean. And that’s all we can do.

“It’s tough, and Kenta didn’t pitch well tonight and was stressed early, and got his pitch count up the first inning. Tried to get him through five innings, so we got put behind the eight ball early.

“But there’s still fight. I mean our guys are playing their tails off and it’s just not happening right now.”

Not happening indeed.

Psychologists will tell you that a person speaking with their arms folded across their chest is an attempt to put a barrier between someone or something they don’t like. Message received, Doc.
(Video capture courtesy of SportsNet LA – Click on image to view video)

In addition to that 1-for-9 RISP thing, the Dodgers managed to score zero runs and had only one hit off of Reds recently acquired malcontent right-hander Matt Harvey, who was pulled from the game after only 4.0 innings due to a strict pitch count; the result of shoulder surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome back in July of 2016 and his horrible start to the 2018 season with the New York Mets that ultimately led to him being unceremoniously traded to Cincinnati.

But as if to prove a point to his former team (and to the Dodgers), the 29-year-old New London, Connecticut native and Mets 2010 first-round draft pick out of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was very effective in his Reds debut, having struck out two and walking none, while allowing only a one out triple to Dodgers first baseman Cody Bellinger in the bottom of the second inning who, of course, was left stranded there.

The Dodgers first run came in the bottom of the fifth inning when shortstop pro tempore Chris Taylor tripled off of Reds reliever Jackson Stephens with one out. This was followed by a double off the bat of Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy to score Taylor, but was, of course, left stranded after a pop out by right fielder Yasiel Puig and a pinch-strike out by Austin Barnes.

The only other Dodger run – and the only Dodger highlight of an otherwise dismal night – came in the bottom of the seventh inning, when “Mad Max” Muncy slugged his third home run of the season off of Reds right-hander Austin Brice. This time, however, there was no one on base. (Go figure).

Game-3 of the four game set will be on Saturday, May 12, at 6:10 pm. The game will follow the annual Alumni Game (aka: Old-Timers Game); unless, of course, the Dodgers elect to cancel the exhibition game and use the old-timers in the real game. Heaven knows they couldn’t do any worse than the current Dodgers – especially with Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax on the mound.

It’s always … always a great day when Dodger great Sandy Koufax is in town.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Play Ball!