Tarik Skubal pitches the Dodgers past the Reds 3-2 for their 6th straight win

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tarik Skubal pitched into the eighth inning, Teoscar Hernández singled home the go-ahead run in the fifth and the Los Angeles Dodgers held off the Cincinnati Reds 3-2 on Tuesday night for their sixth consecutive victory.

Hernández went 3 for 3 with a walk and is hitting .484 in his last nine games. Will Smith homered early for the NL West leaders.

Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani was given the night off to rest nagging knee and biceps injuries. Freddie Freeman went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts as the designated hitter in Ohtani's place.

Skubal (9-7) allowed two runs and four hits in 7 1/3 innings, struck out five and walked two. The Dodgers have won each of his last four outings.

Since joining the club just before the Aug. 3 trade deadline, the two-time AL Cy Young Award winner is 2-2 with a 2.84 ERA and 48 strikeouts against 10 walks in seven starts.

Tanner Scott pitched the ninth to earn his 22nd save.

The Dodgers led 1-0 on Smith's two-strike, two-out homer off Nick Lodolo in the first. Hernández walked and scored when Tommy Edman was hit by a pitch from Lodolo with the bases loaded in the second.

Hernández's go-ahead hit to center field chased Lodolo (3-4). The left-hander gave up three runs and five hits in 4 2/3 innings, striking out six.

Cincinnati's Elly De La Cruz tied it at 2 with a two-out, two-run homer off Skubal in the third. The 444-foot drive to center — the longest homer hit at Dodger Stadium this season — came on an 87 mph changeup, giving De La Cruz a homer in four consecutive games, tying his career high. He also matched his single-season club record for homers by a switch-hitter with his 25th.

De La Cruz was involved in a sparkling defensive play in the bottom of the inning.

With two outs, Hernández tripled and the ball skipped past charging center fielder Dane Myers, who chased it to the wall. Left fielder JJ Bleday came over and sent the relay throw to De La Cruz, who raced from shortstop to center. He fired a 106 mph throw to the plate to nail Hernández, who got the green light from third base coach Dino Ebel to try for an inside-the-park home run.

The Reds had the potential tying run in scoring position in the eighth on De La Cruz's two-out double off reliever Edgardo Henriquez. Sal Stewart had a 1-2 count when the Dodgers challenged a ball call. It was overturned by the Automatic Ball-Strike System, and Stewart struck out to end the threat.

Reds RHP Rhett Lowder (6-9, 5.43 ERA) starts Wednesday's series finale against RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (12-8, 2.67).

See AP’s full MLB coverage here

Cincinnati Reds catcher Jose Trevino, right, celebrates after tagging out Los Angeles Dodgers' Teoscar Hernández as Hernández tried to score on an inside-the-park home run during the third inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Teoscar Hernández, right, is tagged out by Cincinnati Reds catcher Jose Trevino as he tries to score on an inside-the-park home run during the third inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Cincinnati Reds' Elly de la Cruz gestures toward his dugout after hitting a two-run home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Will Smith, right, hits a solo home run as Cincinnati Reds catcher Jose Trevino watches during the first inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tarik Skubal throws to the plate during the first inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Manny Machado tied the score with a two-run single in the eighth inning, Luis Campusano drove in the go-ahead run and the San Diego Padres rallied past the slumping Washington Nationals 5-4 on Tuesday night.

San Diego, which trailed 3-0 in the seventh and 4-1 in the eighth, remained a half-game behind Arizona for the final National League wild card. The Diamondbacks won 5-3 at Kansas City in 11 innings.

Washington (67-80) lost its sixth in a row and dropped into last place in the NL East, a game behind the New York Mets.

San Diego scored four times in the eighth. Nationals reliever Jared Simpson walked the first three batters and was replaced by Erik Tolman (0-1). After a sacrifice fly by pinch-hitter Austin Hays left runners at the corners, Fernando Tatis Jr. advanced to second on a passed ball.

Machado singled on the eighth pitch of his at-bat to even it at 4. He moved to second on Ty France's single and scored with two outs when Campusano blooped a broken-bat single to center field.

David Morgan (3-1) threw one pitch and earned the win by stranding a runner at third in the top of the eighth. Adrian Morejon pitched a perfect ninth for his third save, sealing San Diego's fourth victory in five games.

Yohandy Morales and pinch-hitter Andrés Chaparro homered for the Nationals. Brady House had a two-run double.

Washington starter Riley Cornelio, called up last week from Triple-A Rochester, struck out four in three perfect innings.

With his two singles, Machado passed Garry Templeton for sole possession of second place in Padres history with 1,137 hits. Tony Gwynn holds the franchise record with 3,141.

San Diego starter Case Mize went 5 2/3 innings, allowing three runs and four hits while striking out seven.

Nationals LHP Jackson Kent (1-3, 5.55 ERA), recalled Tuesday from Rochester, takes the mound Wednesday afternoon. RHP Walker Buehler (8-6, 4.56) closes out the three-game series for the Padres.

See AP’s full MLB coverage here

San Diego Padres shortstop Xander Bogaerts (2) applies the tag too late as Washington Nationals' Abimelec Ortiz arrives safely to second base with a double during the sixth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Washington Nationals' CJ Abrams, right, celebrates with teammate Daylen Lile after scoring on a two-RBI double by Brady House during the sixth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Casey Mize works against a Washington Nationals batter during the first inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

San Diego Padres' Luis Campusano breaks his bat as he hits an RBI single during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr., right, celebrates with first baseman Ty France after the Padres defeated the Washington Nationals 5-4 in a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)