Reds Eliminated from Postseason Contention as Dodgers Prevail 4-1
CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Reds’ faint playoff hopes were officially extinguished Monday night as the Los Angeles Dodgers secured a 4-1 victory at Great American Ball Park, dropping the Reds to 70-80 on the season.
De La Cruz Continues Historic Power Surge
The lone bright spot for Cincinnati came from Elly De La Cruz, who launched a mammoth home run estimated at 457 feet. The blast cleared the power stacks in left-center field and exited the stadium entirely, marking the second consecutive week the shortstop has produced a tape-measure shot. Just seven days earlier, De La Cruz hit a similarly awe-inspiring home run from the opposite side of the plate against Dodgers ace Tarik Skubal — feats of raw power that remain virtually unmatched across Major League Baseball.
Season Slips Further Into Lost Territory
Despite De La Cruz’s heroics, the Reds’ offense mustered no further support. The loss pushes Cincinnati a full ten games under .500, cementing another disappointing campaign for a franchise searching for its identity. With the postseason mathematically out of reach, attention inevitably shifts toward offseason planning and the development of young talent.
Lowder Faces Critical Test Against Yamamoto
Right-hander Rhett Lowder takes the mound Tuesday night in what amounts to a pivotal audition for his 2027 role. The former first-round pick has struggled to show meaningful progression this season, and anything short of a sharp outing will force the front office to prioritize starting rotation depth this winter. Opposing him will be Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, one of the game’s premier pitchers.
First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 PM ET at Great American Ball Park.
Tuesday’s Lineups
Los Angeles Dodgers
- Josue De Paula – DH
- Freddie Freeman – 1B
- Mookie Betts – SS
- Kyle Tucker – RF
- Teoscar Hernandez – LF
- Max Muncy – 3B
- Tommy Edman – CF
- Hunter Feduccia – C
- Alex Freeland – 2B
- Y. Yamamoto – RHP
Cincinnati Reds
- Carlos Jorge – CF
- Elly De La Cruz – SS
- Sal Stewart – 1B
- JJ Bleday – LF
- Eugenio Suarez – DH
- Hector Rodriguez – RF
- Matt McLain – 2B
- Juan Brito – 3B
- Will Banfield – C
- Rhett Lowder – RHP
