Los Angeles Dodgers at Cincinnati Reds

At the outset of his start, Yoshinobu Yamamoto did not look like himself on the mound. Yamamoto missed with eight of the first nine pitches he threw on Tuesday night, walking the first two Reds batters he faced -- the fourth time this season he walked multiple batters in a single inning, and the first time in his Major League career that he opened a start by issuing back-to-back free passes. Two batters, two baserunners. But the Reds would get only one more batter aboard in the remainder of Yamamoto's seven strong innings. After his inauspicious beginning, Yamamoto retired 21 of the 22 Reds batters he faced as the Dodgers rolled to a 4-0 victory at Great American Ball Park. He struck out seven and allowed just one hit, an Elly De La Cruz double in the bottom of the third. “After the first two hitters, it was vintage Yama," manager Dave Roberts said. "Just attacking, not trying to be too fine. Not giving these guys too much credit." One day after Tarik Skubal opened the four-game set in Cincinnati with a gem -- a three-hit, seven-inning effort -- Yamamoto raised the bar. Blake Snell is up next as the Dodgers close in on their 13th NL West title in the past 14 seasons, which they can clinch as soon as Wednesday with another win or a Padres loss.