Dodgers Cushion Their Blows

Manager Jim Tracy invariably says Jose Hernandez “makes a lot of sense today” whenever the versatile reserve is in the Dodger opening lineup.

Of course, using Hernandez has made sense all season for the Dodgers, who received another big performance from him Wednesday night in an 11-1 rout of Cincinnati at Great American Ball Park.

A sellout crowd of 39,933 watched as the 11-year veteran -- starting in place of second baseman Alex Cora with left-hander Brandon Claussen on the mound for the Reds -- put on an early show to help the Dodgers quickly take command, 7-0, after three innings.

Hernandez had a two-out, full-count, bases-clearing triple in the Dodgers’ four-run first, and a two-out, two-run home run as part of a three-run third that broke the game open and provided starter Jeff Weaver (10-10) with another big cushion en route to the second eight-inning outing from a Dodger starter in as many nights.

The Dodgers (67-45) pounded Claussen (1-3) for seven earned runs in only three innings, though Claussen contributed to his problems with five walks, including four in the first. The National League West leaders moved a season-high 22 games above .500, a mark they last reached at the end of the 2002 season.

And the Dodgers also widened the gap in a divisional race that appears to be a one-horse show, taking a 7 1/2 -game lead over second-place San Diego.

The only bad news for the Dodgers was that outfielder Milton Bradley left in the third inning because of a sore right hamstring. Bradley is listed as day to day, and Tracy said Bradley probably would not play today as the Dodgers go for the sweep.

“It’s just what they said, it’s just a hammy,” Bradley said.

With Hernandez and others providing a boost, the Dodgers eagerly turn to their bench these days.

“The combination of Hernandez and Cora at second base, both from an offensive and defensive standpoint, has been great,” Tracy said. “And we have a number of guys on that bench like Jose.

“The difference between this bench, and some of the others I’ve had in the previous three seasons, is that any one of them can walk up there at any given time, take a swing and change the complexion of the game. Jose took two tonight that changed the complexion of the game to the tune of five runs batted in.”

Batting seventh, Hernandez hit his 10th homer, in only 148 at-bats, and drove in five runs to lead an 11-hit attack.

“I know they’re going to give me a chance against a lefty, that’s my role,” said Hernandez, batting .345 with eight homers and 16 RBIs against left-handers. “I always prepare myself, and I’ve been doing it for a lot of years.”

And he’s never done it better, pitcher Jose Lima said. “He knows his duty,” Lima said. “He knows he’s not going to play in front of [Cora] ... but he’s a value guy on our ballclub because he can do so many things for us.”

In the third Wednesday, David Ross followed Hernandez with his fourth homer, marking the 11th time the Dodgers have hit consecutive homers, and Shawn Green contributed a three-run blast, his 16th, in a four-run fourth against Todd Van Poppel, giving the Dodgers an 11-0 lead. Steve Finley had three hits and two walks in five plate appearances and is 10 for 17 with the Dodgers.

Weaver impressed again after getting his third big lead in as many starts, working aggressively while limiting the Reds to four hits and one run, and striking out seven without a walk. The right-hander, who also singled, won his third in a row to even his record after a 3-7 start.

“You want to keep the pressure on them,” said Weaver, who has 17 of his 18 quality starts in his last 20 outings, and a 3.27 earned-run average during that span. “You want the innings to be as short as possible so you can get back in there and start swinging the bats again.”