Tyler Mahle: Everything you need to know

Mahle (1-3) allowed three hits and two walks while striking out five over seven shutout innings to earn the win over the Dodgers on Wednesday. Mahle delivered his second scoreless outing of the year, and he was dominant in going pitch-for-pitch against Shohei Ohtani. Patrick Bailey delivered the necessary support with a three-run blast in the seventh inning that allowed Mahle to ultimately earn his first win of the season. Even with this performance, Mahle has an uninspiring 5.26 ERA with a 1.60 WHIP and 26:14 K:BB across 25.2 innings over five starts this year. He'll need to cut down on the walks to have more repeatable success -- his current 4.9 BB/9 is his highest since the abbreviated 2020 campaign. The right-hander is projected to make his next start on the road in Philadelphia.

Mahle (0-3) took the loss Wednesday against the Reds, allowing eight runs on eight hits and five walks while striking out six over four innings. The right-hander was in trouble from the jump, serving up back-to-back homers in the first inning, including a three-run shot to Sal Stewart. Stewart took him deep again an inning later for another three-run blast, and Elly De La Cruz added Cincinnati's fourth homer of the night in the fourth to cap the damage. The outing surprisingly could have been even worse, as Mahle managed to strand runners in scoring position in multiple innings despite all the traffic. It's now the second time in his first four starts that he's allowed at least eight hits and five runs, and his season line has ballooned to a 7.23 ERA, 1.93 WHIP and 21:12 K:BB across 18.2 innings. It will be a tall task to rebound from Wednesday's performance as a difficult matchup against the Dodgers awaits Mahle next week.

Mahle took a no-decision Wednesday against the Phillies, allowing no runs on three hits and four walks in 5.2 innings. He struck out six. Mahle scattered three singles in what was an impressive bounce-back start versus a potent Philadelphia lineup. The right-hander had given up seven runs over his first nine innings before Wednesday's performance, though the Phillies did make the hurler work while drawing four walks on the afternoon. Mahle's 4.30 ERA through 14.2 innings still has room for improvement, and he'll also carry a shaky 1.57 WHIP into an unfavorable setting his next out at hitter-friendly Great American Ball Park versus the Reds.