Los Angeles Dodgers Look To Punch Ticket To NLDS With Sweep Over the Cincinnati Reds

The Los Angeles Dodgers put on a clinic Tuesday night, dismantling the Cincinnati Reds 10-5 in Game 1 of their National League Wild Card series. Now they are sitting pretty with a chance to punch their ticket to the Division Series with just one more victory.

But let’s be honest here – this wasn’t supposed to be a nail-biter anyway. The Dodgers entered this series as heavy favorites, and they showed exactly why in front of a raucous crowd at Dodger Stadium.

Blake Snell Shows Why the Dodgers Made the Trade

The real story of Game 1? Blake Snell looked absolutely filthy on the mound. The left-hander carved up Cincinnati’s lineup for seven innings, striking out nine batters while allowing just four hits and one walk. Sure, he gave up two earned runs late in his outing, but by that point, the Dodgers’ offense had already done enough damage to put this one away.

Snell’s performance was a masterclass in playoff pitching – he attacked the zone early, kept hitters off balance with his devastating slider, and never let the pressure get to him. This is exactly what Los Angeles envisioned when they acquired him, and frankly, it’s about time we saw vintage Snell in a Dodgers uniform.

The strikeout numbers tell the story. Nine punchouts in seven innings isn’t just good – it’s dominant. When you can miss bats like that in October, you give your team a real chance to make noise in the postseason.

Dodgers Offense Flexes Its Muscle

While Snell was dealing on the mound, the Dodgers’ lineup was putting on a power display that reminded everyone why they led the National League in several offensive categories this season. Home runs flew out of Dodger Stadium like it was batting practice, and the patient approach at the plate that’s defined this team all year was on full display.

The beauty of this Dodgers offense isn’t just the star power – though having guys like Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman certainly doesn’t hurt. It’s the depth and the ability to pass the baton from one hitter to the next. When you can score 10 runs in a playoff game, you’re sending a message to the rest of the National League.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto Takes the Ball for Game 2

Wednesday night brings us Game 2, and Dave Roberts is handing the ball to Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The Japanese right-hander has been everything the Dodgers hoped for in 2025, posting a 2.49 ERA with 201 strikeouts across his starts.

Yamamoto brings a different energy than Snell – where Snell is all power and intimidation, Yoshinobu relies on precision and command. His four-pitch mix has baffled hitters all season long, and there’s no reason to think the Reds will have any better luck solving him than most teams have this year.

If Yamamoto can match Snell’s performance from Game 1, this series could be over before we know it. The Reds will counter with Zack Littell, who’s had a solid season but faces a tall task against this explosive Dodgers lineup.

Gavin Lux’s Emotional Return

One of the more compelling storylines heading into this series has been Gavin Lux facing his former team. The former Dodgers prospect, now wearing Cincinnati red, had to deal with the emotions of playing against the organization that drafted and developed him.

Lux opened up before the series about what it meant to face his old teammates and how the Reds match up against Los Angeles. You could see the mixed emotions on his face during pregame warm-ups – part of him probably still bleeds Dodger blue, even though he’s committed to helping Cincinnati pull off what would be a massive upset.

It has to be weird for a guy who came up through the Dodgers system to now be trying to knock them out of the playoffs. Baseball’s funny like that sometimes – the game doesn’t care about your feelings or your history.

Roster Surprises and Strategic Decisions

The Dodgers made some eyebrow-raising decisions when they finalized their Wild Card roster. Most notably, Michael Conforto didn’t make the cut, which caught plenty of people off guard, given his veteran presence and playoff experience.

These kinds of roster moves show you just how deep the Dodgers organization is right now. When you can leave a guy like Conforto off your playoff roster and still feel confident about your chances, that’s a pretty good problem to have.

The front office clearly prioritized specific matchups and roles over big names, which speaks to their confidence in the roster construction. Sometimes the best move is the one that surprises people.

Looking Ahead To Wednesday

The Reds are facing elimination, which makes them dangerous. There is nothing scarier in baseball than a team with nothing to lose, and Cincinnati showed enough fight in Game 1 to suggest they won’t go quietly.

But let’s call it like it is – the Dodgers are the better team, they’re at home, and they have their ace on the mound for Game 2. If they execute like they did Tuesday night, this series could be wrapped up by bedtime Wednesday.

The National League Division Series is calling, and the Dodgers are just one win away from answering that call. For a franchise with championship aspirations, anything less than advancing would be a massive disappointment.