The Dodgers need one more win to clinch the NL West.
Teoscar Hernández's two-run homer and Yoshinobu Yamamoto's seven-inning, one-hit shutout carried Los Angeles to a 4-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday, Sept. 15, at Great American Ball Park. Combined with San Diego's loss to Colorado, the Dodgers' magic number dropped to one, according to True Blue LA.
One Dodgers win or one Padres loss clinches a fifth consecutive NL West title for Los Angeles and its 13th in the last 14 years.
The earliest clinch date: Wednesday, Sept. 16, when Blake Snell (4-1, 1.91 ERA) faces Cincinnati's Andrew Abbott (6-11, 4.84 ERA) at 3:40 p.m. PT.
Yamamoto shuts the door
Yamamoto (14-8, 2.51 ERA) walked his first two batters, then locked in. He allowed only a third-inning double to Elly De La Cruz and retired 10 straight after that, striking out seven in his team-high 27th start of the season, per ESPN.
It marked the second straight game a Dodgers starter went seven scoreless innings. Tarik Skubal did the same Monday in the 4-1 win that clinched a record-tying 14th consecutive playoff berth, matching the Atlanta Braves' 1991-to-2005 streak.
Brock Stewart pitched the eighth. Tanner Scott struck out three straight in the ninth with runners on first and third to seal the Dodgers' 12th shutout of the season. Los Angeles improved to 92-59, 10 games ahead of the Padres.
The swing fix behind Hernández's surge
Hernández's third-inning blast off right-hander Rhett Lowder left his bat at 109.3 mph and cleared the left-field fence, the Los Angeles Times reported. It was his 15th homer and his second in two nights, after going deep off left-hander Nick Lodolo on Monday.
The homer against a righty carried extra weight. Through August, Hernández had a .668 OPS against right-handed pitchers. Manager Dave Roberts had contemplated a left-field platoon. But before a Cardinals series at Dodger Stadium, Hernández met with hitting coach Aaron Bates and the staff about returning to his "twister tap" stride.
The twister tap starts with an open stance, a toe tap in line with the pitcher, then a foot plant. Lower-body injuries had forced Hernández away from it: a left groin strain last season and a left hamstring strain this season.
Bates said when Hernández's hips are loose and "his front leg looks like an Elvis knee, it's a good sign for us," because he can rotate his lower half without his upper body following. The biggest payoff, Bates said, is plate coverage on outside pitches, allowing Hernández to spoil more and extend at-bats.
Since the adjustment, Hernández entered Tuesday with a .777 OPS against righties over 28 plate appearances. After his walk-off double against the Cardinals on Sept. 4, Hernández said the change gave him more body control and helped him identify pitches sooner.
Freeman breaks out, lineup shuffles ahead
Freddie Freeman went 3-for-5 with three singles after missing three of the past five games with right knee soreness. He had been 3-for-30 entering Tuesday.
"I was supposed to be off tomorrow, but I played myself in there," Freeman said after the game.
Hunter Feduccia drove in a run with a second-inning single, and Alex Freeland added a solo homer in the seventh off Pierce Johnson.
Shohei Ohtani remains on the injured list with right biceps and left knee injuries. Roberts said De Paula, Freeland and Max Muncy will sit Wednesday, with the Dodgers also chasing the No. 2 NL seed and a first-round bye. Their magic number over Atlanta for that spot stands at eight.
The Padres visit Colorado at 5:40 p.m. PT on Wednesday. If the Dodgers don't clinch it themselves, a Rockies win does it for them.
