[Nick Soulis]

Series #232



Dodgers Dominate in Statement Series
Kershaw’s opener to Puig’s fireworks, Los Angeles overwhelms Cincinnati 4–0 to advance in Field of Dreams.



Series #232, Game 1
Cincinnati 1936 Reds at Los Angeles 2013 Dodgers
Dodger Stadium
Clear skies, 59°, wind blowing left to right at 8 mph
Los Angeles 2013 Dodgers 6, Cincinnati 1936 Reds 0
Winning Pitcher: Clayton Kershaw (1-0) — 9.0 IP, 8 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 11 K
Losing Pitcher: Paul Derringer (0-1) — 4.2 IP, 12 H, 6 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, 2 HR
Home Runs: Hanley Ramirez (LAD, solo, 1st inning); Andre Ethier (LAD, 2-run, 5th inning)
Player of the Game: Clayton Kershaw — Complete-game shutout, 11 strikeouts, also drove in 2 runs at the plate
Los Angeles leads the best-of-seven series, 1-0.

On a crisp night at Dodger Stadium, Clayton Kershaw proved why his name is etched among the game’s greats. With the Field of Dreams spotlight squarely upon him, the Dodgers’ ace authored a masterpiece: a complete-game shutout, 11 strikeouts, and not a single walk, powering the 2013 Los Angeles Dodgers to a commanding 6–0 victory over the 1936 Cincinnati Reds in the opener of Series #232. Kershaw was sharp from the start, scattering eight hits across nine innings but never allowing the Reds to string anything together. Time and again, when Cincinnati’s leadoff men reached, the big lefty slammed the door with his trademark curveball and a fastball that seemed to rise as it neared the plate. By the final out, Dodger Stadium roared with the satisfaction of a club that had just sent an unmistakable message.
“I felt good, I felt in rhythm,” Kershaw said afterward. “It’s always special to pitch here, but on a stage like this, you want to give your best. Tonight everything clicked.” Hanley Ramirez opened the scoring with a booming solo home run in the first inning, jolting the Dodgers’ dugout and setting the tone. Kershaw himself later contributed at the plate, lacing a two-run single in the fourth inning that widened the gap to 3–0. By the fifth, the rout was on: A.J. Ellis doubled home a run, and Andre Ethier launched a two-run shot deep into the Chavez Ravine night to cap the scoring.
The Dodgers finished with 14 hits, with Ramirez, Ethier, and Mark Ellis each collecting multiple knocks. For the Reds, leadoff man Kiki Cuyler was a bright spot, going 3-for-4 and showing flashes of his Hall of Fame talent. Les Scarsella added a double, and pitcher Paul Derringer even singled, but Cincinnati couldn’t deliver the timely hit. The Reds left seven men stranded and struck out 11 times.Derringer shouldered the loss, surrendering 12 hits and six runs in 4.2 innings before turning things over to Whitey Moore and Benny Frey, who combined for 3.1 scoreless frames. The story, however, belonged to Kershaw. His 112-pitch gem reminded the Field of Dreams faithful that certain arms transcend eras. With pinpoint command and a presence that stifled Cincinnati’s lineup from start to finish, he not only gave the Dodgers the opening salvo in the series but etched his performance into the growing lore of this grand experiment.As the teams prepare for Game 2 tomorrow night at Dodger Stadium, the Reds find themselves searching for answers — while the Dodgers, led by their ace, stride forward with confidence.

Series #232, Game 2
Cincinnati 1936 Reds at Los Angeles 2013 Dodgers
Dodger Stadium
Partly cloudy, 61°, wind blowing out to right at 7 mph
Final Score: Los Angeles 2013 Dodgers 7, Cincinnati 1936 Reds 5
Winning Pitcher: Hyun-jin Ryu (1-0) — 7.0 IP, 10 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 9 K, 2 HR
Losing Pitcher: Al Hollingsworth (0-1) — 4.1 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 1 HR
Save: Kenley Jansen (1) — 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K
Home Runs: Kiki Cuyler (CIN, solo, 4th); Ernie Lombardi (CIN, solo, 6th); Billy Myers (CIN, solo, 8th); Yasiel Puig (LAD, 3-run, 5th)
Player of the Game: Yasiel Puig — 2-for-4, HR, 2B, 4 RBI, 1 R
Los Angeles leads the best-of-seven series, 2-0.
Special Note: Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramírez injured his back while stealing a base and will miss the remainder of the series.

The Los Angeles 2013 Dodgers held serve at home in Game 2 of Series #232, riding the energy and power of Yasiel Puig to a 7–5 victory over the 1936 Cincinnati Reds. The win pushes Los Angeles to a commanding 2–0 lead in the best-of-seven matchup, but the night also delivered a bitter blow: shortstop Hanley Ramírez left the game with a back injury and will miss the remainder of the series.For five innings, the game swayed like a pendulum. Hyun-jin Ryu looked sharp early, striking out four in the first two innings, while Adrian González and Carl Crawford helped push the Dodgers to a 3–0 lead. But in the top of the fourth, the Reds’ bats roared to life. Kiki Cuyler launched a towering solo home run to left, Ernie Lombardi doubled, and Babe Herman and Les Scarsella followed with line-drive singles. When Alex Kampouris punched a run-scoring hit through the left side, the Reds had tied the game, 3–3, and Dodger Stadium’s easy confidence evaporated.
That set the stage for Puig. With the score knotted in the fifth and two men on, the 22-year-old phenom jumped on a pitch from left-hander Al Hollingsworth and sent it screaming into the left-field seats for a three-run home run. Dodger Stadium shook. “We took advantage of our opportunities,” Puig said afterward. “It’s as simple as that.”González added a double and Matt Kemp chipped in a sacrifice fly before the inning closed, giving the Dodgers a 7–3 lead. It proved just enough cushion to withstand Cincinnati’s fight. Lombardi’s solo blast in the sixth and Billy Myers’ homer in the eighth drew the Reds within two, but Kenley Jansen entered in the ninth and coolly recorded the save.Ryu earned the win despite surrendering 10 hits and two home runs, his ability to miss bats (nine strikeouts) offsetting Cincinnati’s relentless contact. Hollingsworth absorbed the loss after yielding six runs in 4.1 innings.But the real story may have come in the shadows of Puig’s heroics. Ramírez, who had singled and stolen second in the fifth inning, pulled up gingerly and was later diagnosed with a back issue that rules him out for the rest of the series. His absence leaves a gaping hole in Los Angeles’ lineup and forces manager Don Mattingly to rely on Nick Punto at shortstop and the supporting cast around Puig and González.For the Reds, there is both frustration and hope. They outhomered the Dodgers 3–2 and showed they could string together rallies against modern pitching. Lombardi finished with three hits, while Cuyler and Myers each provided longballs that showcased Cincinnati’s capacity for sudden damage.
The series now shifts to Crosley Field in Cincinnati for Game 3 on Friday. The Reds return home needing to capitalize on Dodger misfortune. For the Dodgers, the challenge is clear: win without their star shortstop and keep riding the emotion of their Cuban lightning bolt in right field.For now, Puig’s bat has carried the day, but the injury cloud over Ramírez lingers ominously. What was a dominant two-game cushion could quickly turn into a dogfight in the Queen City.

Game 3
Los Angeles 2013 Dodgers at Cincinnati 1936 Reds
Crosley Field
Clear skies, 56°, wind blowing in from right at 10 mph
Final Score: Los Angeles 2013 Dodgers 4, Cincinnati 1936 Reds 2 (10 innings)
Winning Pitcher: Kenley Jansen (1-0) — 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Losing Pitcher: Benny Frey (0-1) — 1.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Home Runs: None
Player of the Game: Zack Greinke — 8.0 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 7 K, kept Dodgers in control until extras
Los Angeles leads the best-of-seven series, 3–0.

In the cool Cincinnati night, where Crosley Field’s brick walls caught the glow of lanterns and the hum of faithful voices, baseball once again wrote its timeless script. The Dodgers of 2013, built on modern might and analytic steel, and the Reds of 1936, crafted from grit, wood bats, and a workingman’s courage, met beneath the canopy of memory.It was Zack Greinke who stood tallest, a solitary figure on the mound, pitching not only with precision but with reverence for the ghosts around him. He bent his body into motion as though he were part of the same long chain that once bore names like Hubbell and Dean. Eight innings he gave, balancing on the razor’s edge of peril, yet holding firm until the game demanded more. His arm, steady as a mason’s hand, guided Los Angeles through the narrow alleys of a 1930s ballgame — where a double meant thunder, and a man’s stride from first to third carried with it the weight of his town’s pride.
But even the strongest flame flickers. The Reds clawed back, tying the score, their bats flashing against the night air, reminding all that Crosley was still their home, their cathedral. Ernie Lombardi, heavy with bat and burden, swung like a man chiseling at stone, sending doubles to the deep reaches and reminding his opponents that the old ways still bore fruit.When the ninth ended in a deadlock, baseball called for one more act, one more measure of courage. And it was A.J. Ellis — no giant, no bannered hero — who lifted his team, grounding out with intent enough to bring a run home. In that modest stroke lay the essence of the game: the quiet sacrifice, the humble deed, the run tallied not by power but by persistence. Andre Ethier followed with a knock of his own, sealing the margin, delivering the breath the Dodgers needed to steal away the night.And so the Dodgers, with their 4–2 victory in ten frames, claimed a grip upon the series that history itself rarely loosens: three games to none, a stranglehold against a proud foe. Yet the Reds walked off not beaten men, but guardians of an era — their uniforms streaked, their pride intact, their fight still flickering.As the stars stretched over Crosley Field, one could almost hear the voices of ages past mingling with the cheers. For in games like these, time bends, eras clasp hands, and baseball’s eternal spirit rises above the diamond dust — whispering that while the score may crown the Dodgers tonight, the game belongs forever to all who play it, and all who dream of it.

Series #232, Game 4
Los Angeles 2013 Dodgers at Cincinnati 1936 Reds
Crosley Field
Partly Cloudy, 52°, wind blowing out to right at 8 mph
Final Score: Los Angeles 2013 Dodgers 9, Cincinnati 1936 Reds 2
Winning Pitcher: Chris Capuano (1-0) — 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
Losing Pitcher: Si Johnson (0-1) — 6.2 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, 1 HR
Home Runs: Yasiel Puig (LAD, solo, 4th inning), Juan Uribe (LAD, 2-run, 7th inning)
Player of the Game: Yasiel Puig — 2-for-4, HR, 2B, 3 R, BB, RBI

Upon the dusky greens of Crosley Field, the curtain fell on a tale both noble and cruel. The Cincinnati Reds of 1936, fashioned in the sinew and grit of Depression-era ball, stood with stubborn hearts against an invading army of modern steel. Yet the Dodgers of 2013 swept through like a storm over the Ohio, scattering hope with every crack of bat and measured stride upon the basepaths. In the fourth contest, it was not a titan’s arm but a journeyman’s craft that carried the day. Chris Capuano, with steady rhythm and calm resolve, silenced the roars, then yielded the stage to the relentless fire of his teammates. Yasiel Puig, bright comet across the night, swung with the reckless joy of youth and sent the ball high over Crosley’s fence. Juan Uribe, ever underestimated, struck his blow in the seventh, and the die was cast.
The Reds fought on — Cuyler with his sure stroke, Scarsella with a well-timed double — but their weapons were dulled, their voices drowned. The Dodgers’ onslaught in the late innings turned the field into a canvas painted in blue triumph, each run another brushstroke upon Cincinnati’s fading dream.
Yet let us not forget: the Reds depart with honor. They carried the banner of an era when games were lean, gloves were thin, and every nickel counted. Their spirit remains eternal, even as their bats fell silent against the engines of the present age.
So the book of Crosley closes on this October night. The Dodgers stride forward, their names etched among victors. The Reds retreat to history’s embrace. And baseball itself whispers the eternal refrain: time passes, champions rise, but the game endures, forever young beneath the autumn sky.

Los Angeles 2013 Dodgers sweep the Cincinnati 1936 Reds 4–0

Series MVP: