The Dodgers took care of business again Tuesday, beating the Cincinnati Reds 3-2 to push their winning streak to six games. It's the kind of stretch that doesn't make headlines nationally, but for a Dodgers club looking to build momentum into September, six straight wins is a solid run of form, built on timely hitting and enough pitching to close things out.
The Record
The streak actually started by dodging a sweep against the St. Louis Cardinals, taking the September 3 finale 3-2 after dropping the first two games of that series 13-8 and 8-6. From there, Los Angeles swept the Washington Nationals with a 5-3 win on September 4, a 6-5 squeaker on September 5, and a 7-5 finish on September 6. They carried that momentum into the current series against Cincinnati, winning 6-3 on Monday before Tuesday's 3-2 victory. Those early Cardinals losses show this run didn't come out of nowhere. They followed a stretch where the pitching staff was uncharacteristically giving up runs in bunches.
Why It Matters
What stands out here isn't just the win total but the pattern: five of the six wins in this streak were decided by two runs or fewer, including a very close 6-5 win against Washington and Tuesday's tight one-run finish. That's a team finding ways to win close games, which tends to matter more over a full season than blowout wins. Zoom out further, and the Dodgers are now 6-2 in the month of September. Put together, it's a club that's been competitive in nearly every game it's played over the past two weeks, regardless of the final score.
What's Next
The Dodgers will look to make it seven straight as they close out their series against the Reds on Wednesday. To do so, they will rely on a lockdown bullpen, much like they did when Tanner Scott secured his 22nd save to seal Tuesday's victory. Games decided by one or two runs are volatile by nature, and a streak built on close finishes can turn just as quickly as it started. Still, there's enough here to make it happen: quality at-bats late in games, competent bullpen work. It's not crazy to think this group can keep grinding out wins into the stretch run.