Cincinnati Reds: Three takeaways from the walk-off loss to the Dodgers

The Cincinnati Reds fell to the Los Angeles Dodgers in dramatic fashion last night. Here are three observations from the heartbreaking loss.

Well, that didn’t end the way we’d have liked it to, did it? The Cincinnati Reds fell 3-4 to the Los Angeles Dodgers last night when Joe Pederson crushed a walk-off 2-run homer over the right field wall. What did we learn from the Reds heartbreaking loss?

Yasiel Puig got the party started. Matt Kemp gave the Reds the lead late. But, Joe Pederson had the last laugh. Puig sent his second home run of the season over the center field wall in the top of the first and Kemp broke the 2-2 tie in the ninth inning with an RBI single. However, after Raisel Iglesias walked the first batter he faced, Pederson made him pay and ended the game in dramatic fashion.

This game was made for Hollywood. You had the return of five former Dodgers, all of which drew the start against their old team. Puig, Kemp, Scott Schebler, Jose Peraza, and Kyle Farmer were all in the starting lineup versus their former team. Only Alex Wood, the fourth player in the December trade between Cincy and LA was not on the field last night.

Clayton Kershaw, aside from the 1-2 pitch to Puig in the first inning, was pretty dominant against the Cincinnati Reds. Kershaw went 7 innings, allowed only 5 hits and 2 runs while striking out 6. It was Kershaw’s season debut after being sidelined injury to begin the 2019 season.

After winning four straight games, the Redlegs have now lost two in a row with six more games on their West Coast trip remaining before they return home to Great American Ball Park. So, what can Reds’ fans takeaway from their team’s 3-4 loss in Chavez Ravine? Let’s take a look.