CINCINNATI \u2013 The Los Angeles Dodgers clinched their 14th consecutive playoff berth with a 4-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Monday night behind Tarik Skubal’s seven shutout innings and home runs by Kyle Tucker and Teoscar Hern\u00e1ndez.<\/p>\n
Los Angeles tied the record set by Atlanta from 1991 through 2005.<\/p>\n
The two-time defending World Series champions cut their magic number to three for a fifth straight NL West title and 13th in 14 seasons. The Dodgers became the third team assured of a playoff spot after Milwaukee and Tampa Bay.<\/p>\n
Skubal (10-7) allowed three hits, struck out nine and walked one as he gained his second win against Cincinnati in seven days. Skubal allowed two runs in 7 1\/3 innings in a 3-2 victory on Sept. 8.<\/p>\n
He is 3-2 with a 2.52 ERA in eight starts since the Dodgers (91-59) acquired him from Detroit Tigers on Aug. 2.<\/p>\n
Elly de la Cruz hit a 457-foot homer to center off Evan Phillips in the ninth, the longest homer by a Cincinnati player this season and the longest this year at Great American Ballpark.<\/p>\n
All three of Los Angeles’ hits ended up resulting in runs.<\/p>\n
Tucker led off the second by driving an upper inside fastball from Nick Lodolo (3-5) into the right-field stands, his third home run in five games.<\/p>\n
Tucker walked with two outs in the fourth and Hern\u00e1ndez homered to right-center. Kik\u00e9 Hern\u00e1ndez added an RBI single in the seventh.<\/p>\n
Lodolo allowed four runs and three hits in seven innings.<\/p>\n
Up next<\/p>\n
Los Angeles sends RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (13-8, 2.62 ERA) to the mound on Tuesday. LHP Rhett Lowder (6-10, 5.81 ERA) goes for Cincinnati.<\/p>\n
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