The Los Angeles Dodgers begin postseason play on Tuesday when they host the Cincinnati Reds in Game 1 of the National League Wild Card Series.
The Reds are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2020 after clinching the third and final NL Wild Card spot. They went 83-79 during the regular season and made a lot of strides under first-year manager Terry Francona.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers won the NL West for the 12th time in the last 13 seasons but fell short of clinching a first-round bye into the Division Series. They are participating in the Wild Card round for just the third time in franchise history.
The Dodgers took five of six head-to-head meetings against the Reds during the regular season, including a sweep at Dodger Stadium. L.A. outscored Cincinnati, 30-15, in the six games.
2025 season review: Reds vs. Dodgers
July 28-30, Dodgers win two of three
The Dodgers and Reds met for the first time during the regular season in a three-game series at Great American Ball Park from July 28-30.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto was dominant in the series opener as he allowed just one run over seven innings to help the Dodgers earn a 5-2 win.
Then in the middle matchup, the Dodgers were lifted by their bullpen after Tyler Glasnow struggled through four innings. L.A. mounted a late comeback and took a decided lead when Will Smith delivered a go-ahead RBI double in the ninth.
The Reds salvaged their series after rallying late to defeat the Dodgers in the final matchup from Cincinnati.
Aug. 25-27, Dodgers sweep
Just under a month later, the Reds and Dodgers met again for three games at Dodger Stadium. Gavin Lux received his 2024 World Series ring in his first trip to L.A. since being traded to the Reds.
Emmet Sheehan set the tone in the series opener by allowing only two hits and collecting 10 strikeouts over seven scoreless innings.
Clayton Kershaw followed suit with a solid performance in the middle game as he gave up only one run across five innings of work.
Then in the series finale, Shohei Ohtani turned in an excellent start of his own by limiting the Reds to one run over five frames. L.A. completed the three-game sweep, outscoring Cincinnati, 18-4, in the process.
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