Los Angeles @ Cincinnati preview

Last Meeting ( May 13, 2018 ) Cincinnati 5, LA Dodgers 3

Justin Turner was the National League Player of the Month for August and hasn’t cooled off much in September while helping the Los Angeles Dodgers pull within one-half game of first place in the NL West. Turner looks to follow his four-hit effort last time out with another strong performance when the Dodgers visit the last-place Cincinnati Reds on Monday for the opener of their three-game series.

Turner batted .402 with six homers and 20 RBIs last month and improved to 10-for-30 since the calendar changed after recording a homer and two doubles in Sunday’s 9-6 victory over NL West-leading Colorado. Alex Wood will try to continue his strong run when he takes the mound Monday for Los Angeles, which sits one game behind St. Louis for the second wild-card spot, and Cincinnati counters with Cody Reed. The Reds have dropped five of their last seven contests after suffering a rain-delayed 7-6 setback against San Diego on Sunday but swept a four-game road set versus the Dodgers in May. Scooter Gennett went 0-for-9 in the series against Padres to fall a point behind Milwaukee's Christian Yelich (.316) in the NL batting race, but he went 10-for-14 with a pair of homers and six RBIs in the set at Los Angeles.

TV: 6:40 p.m. ET, SportsNet LA (Los Angeles), FS Ohio (Cincinnati)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Dodgers LH Alex Wood (8-6, 3.37 ERA) vs. Reds LH Cody Reed (0-2, 4.81)

Wood is unbeaten in four starts and has allowed fewer than three runs in six of his last seven outings. The 27-year-old native of North Carolina defeated Texas with seven scoreless innings to end August and opened this month by allowing one run over five frames in a no-decision against the New York Mets. Gennett is 3-for-4 with a double versus Wood, who is 3-0 with a 2.45 ERA in five career games (four starts) against the Reds.

Reed makes his third straight start after giving up one run over 4 2/3 innings versus Milwaukee on Aug. 30 and getting lit up for six in five frames at Pittsburgh on Tuesday. The 25-year-old Tennessean strung together four straight scoreless relief efforts before joining the rotation and owns a 3.27 ERA at home as opposed to a 6.08 mark on the road. Reed will face the Dodgers for the first time as he seeks his second career win after losing 10 of his first 11 decisions.

WALK-OFFS

1. Los Angeles RHP Kenley Jansen (irregular heartbeat) is expected to join the team in Cincinnati after missing the Colorado series on doctor’s orders.

2. Cincinnati 1B Joey Votto has homered in each of his last two games after going without a blast for 36 contests.

3. The Dodgers own a 32-20 record at Great American Ball Park.

PREDICTION: Dodgers 7, Reds 3