They came, they saw, they conquered.
Logan Forsythe and Justin Turner both homered as the Los Angeles Dodgers hung on to beat the Cincinnati Reds, 9-8, to complete the three-game sweep on Father's Day at Great America Ball Park.
Kenta Maeda got the start and then helped out his own cause when he knocked in the first two runs of the game with a two-run double in the top of the second inning.
The first of two redheads homered in the top half of the third as Forsythe cranked a two-run shot off Cincinnati starter Bronson Arroyo.
Logan Forsythe launches a two-run home run to left field, extending the Dodgers' lead to 5-0 in the top of the 3rd inning!!! #LetsGoDodgers pic.twitter.com/JQ2gxDzQ4o— TheRenderMLB (@TheRenderMLB) June 18, 2017
Arroyo would not return to the mound in the fourth, exiting stage left for Blake Wood. Arroyo was handed the loss, allowing five runs on seven hits with three strikeouts in just three innings.
With the Dodgers ahead 5-1 in the sixth inning, it was the "Red Dream's" turn to go deep as Justin Turner broke the game open with a three-run homer, giving the Boys in Blue a commanding 8-1 lead.
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Justin Turner drills a three-run home run to left field, extending the Dodgers' lead to 8-1 in the top of the 6th inning!!! #LetsGoDodgers pic.twitter.com/LZN9wFWyc0— TheRenderMLB (@TheRenderMLB) June 18, 2017
Maeda (5-3) left the game with the lead, allowing one run on three hits with one walk and five strikeouts in five innings.
"Kenta came out aggressive and was pitching with aggression," sad Dodgers' manager Dave Roberts to a group of media members in his office after the game. "With his workload over the past week, I took him out early."
However, the Reds would rally off the Dodgers normally lights out bullpen.
"It got a little too close for us," said Roberts. "This is a good offensive club and we've had our way with them, but they put some good at-bats together against our bullpen."
Cincinnati started the comeback with a solo shot by Adam Duvall off Grant Dayton in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Adam Duvall lifts a solo home run over the left-center field wall to cut into the Reds' deficit in the bottom of the 6th inning!!! #Reds pic.twitter.com/PWMu6RWU4H— TheRenderMLB (@TheRenderMLB) June 18, 2017
One frame later, it was Scotter Gennett who went deep off Josh Fields to cut the Dodgers lead to 8-5. Fields has struggled over the past few weeks, allowing five home runs in his last four appearances and six homers overall.
Scooter Gennett cranks a three-run home run to right field, cutting the Reds' deficit to 8-5 in the bottom of the 7th inning!!! #Reds pic.twitter.com/k3EjLovTSv— TheRenderMLB (@TheRenderMLB) June 18, 2017
It was Eugenio Suarez's turn to go deep in the bottom half of the eighth as the Reds got within a run off setup man Pedro Baez.
Eugenio Suarez lines a solo home run to left-center field, cutting the Reds' deficit to 8-5 in the bottom of the 8th inning!!! #Reds pic.twitter.com/5P2YlkCAuV— TheRenderMLB (@TheRenderMLB) June 18, 2017
With the tying run on second base and two outs, Joey Votto thought he had completed the comeback with a long drive to deep left field, but Enrique Hernandez made a leaping catch at the wall to save Father's Day for the Dodgers and complete the season sweep of the Reds.
KIKE!!!!!! What a catch!!! He keeps my #FathersDay present alive. @Dodgers pic.twitter.com/1lzmlECO0S— SCOTT WARNER (@ScottWarner18) June 18, 2017
Kenely Jansen closed the door with his 15th save of the season, and extended his MLB record with 50 strikeouts to start a season without allowing a walk.
Cincinnati has now lost a season high 10 consecutive games and alternatively, the Dodgers have won three in a row and nine out of 10 overall.
The three-game sweep of the Reds in Cincinnati, was the Dodgers sixth sweep of the season, with two coming against the Big Red Machine.
Both teams wore powder blue hats, jerseys, and gear in honor of Father's Day. Even the stitching on the baseballs was powder blue for the game and all games around the league.
Looks good. �� #FathersDay pic.twitter.com/9pncuUR8oR— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) June 18, 2017
Up Next:
Clayton Kershaw opens up a nine-game home stand at Dodger Stadium on Monday as the Dodgers host the New York Mets. RHP Zach Wheeler starts for the Mets with first pitch scheduled for 7:10PM PST.
