LOS ANGELES — It took a while to figure it out, but the Dodgers first round opponent is set: the Cincinnati Reds. Under Terry Francona‘s leadership, they somehow managed to hang around long enough for the Mets collapse to be complete. Unlike the Guardians, who have been playing with their hair on fire and ran down the Tigers, the Reds just simply treaded water: their record in the second half of the season was a mediocre 33-32. Nothing to write home about. But, with the meltdown in Queens reaching epic proportion as the summer rolled along, the Reds didn’t have to do much to capture the six seed. And capture it they did, on the final day of the season, a day in which they, you guessed it, lost to the Brewers.
So regardless of how they got here, they are here. And it’s worth taking a short stroll down memory lane to look at how your Los Angeles Dodgers fared against Cincinnati this year. Let’s hop in the Wayback Machine and do some time traveling, shall we?
GAME ONE: July 28 at Cincinnati: Dodgers 6, Reds 2
Yoshinobu Yamamoto set the tone with seven strong innings and 9 strikeouts, and Shohei Ohtani’s two-run double put L.A. ahead for good. Rookie lefty Jack Dreyer earned his first save after Blake Treinen wobbled late. Lingering notes: Yamamoto’s splitter feel in a hitter’s park and Dreyer’s poise in traffic.
GAME TWO: July 29 at Cincinnati: Dodgers 5, Reds 4
The Dodgers rallied with two outs in the ninth when Will Smith ripped the go-ahead double for his third RBI. Freddie Freeman went 3-for-4 as Tyler Glasnow scuffled early. Lingering notes: Smith’s late-inning reliability and Freeman heating up.
GAME THREE: July 30 at Cincinnati: Reds 5, Dodgers 2
Shohei Ohtani exited early with cramping after three innings, and the Reds cashed in with a three-run eighth after it was tied 2–2. James Outman nearly pulled a homer back to end the frame but the inning still swung the game. Lingering notes: Ohtani’s health and the reminder that walks ahead of contact can flip a late inning. This one featured a rare wobble from Emmet Sheehan in relief, but highlighted a problem that plagued the Dodgers most of the season: an inability to close out winnable games.
GAME FOUR: August 25 at Dodger Stadium: Dodgers 7, Reds 0
After taking two of three in Ohio, the series resumed in LA about a month later. In the first game at Dodger Stadium, Andy Pages carried the night with two homers and a sac fly, and Emmet Sheehan struck out 10 over seven shutout frames. Mookie Betts added a liner home run and a highlight play at short. Lingering notes: Pages punishing spin from Hunter Greene and Sheehan’s emerging blueprint of strike one and lift. Greene is a likely starter for Game One of the Wild Card Series, so it will be interesting to see if the flamethrower has taken any lessons from this rough outing.
GAME FIVE: August 26 at Dodger Stadium: Dodgers 6, Reds 3
Clayton Kershaw capped a perfect August run with five efficient innings, then the offense stacked four add-on runs in the sixth, including a Will Smith homer and a Miguel Rojas pinch-hit double. Lingering notes: Kershaw’s late-season form and the value of tack-on innings against a high-octane Reds lineup. Of course, we already know that Clayton will not be added to the Wild Card round roster, so any hopes of a repeat are sadly just hopes.
GAME SIX: August 27 at Dodger Stadium: Dodgers 5, Reds 1
The staff piled up 19 strikeouts, and Ohtani secured his first pitching win as a Dodger with 9 K in five innings. Michael Conforto snapped a long drought with a late homer while the pen kept the swing-and-miss rolling. Lingering notes: the Dodgers’ strikeout ceiling against Cincinnati’s free-swinging core and Ohtani settling into tempo after early wildness.
Big picture
Across six games, L.A. limited Elly De La Cruz’s damage, leaned on Smith in leverage, saw Pages break out, and got signature turns from Yamamoto, Kershaw, and Ohtani. The Reds bring speed and punch, but the series showed that strike throwing up the ladder and finishing with breakers can control their rallies. All of it tees up Tuesday night at Chavez Ravine.
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