Skubal Silences Reds as Dodgers Clinch Playoff Spot

The Los Angeles Dodgers came to Great American Ball Park on Monday, September 14, 2026, and delivered a masterclass in playoff baseball, defeating the Cincinnati Reds 4-1 in a performance that clinched their postseason berth. If this game is any preview of October baseball, National League opponents should start losing sleep now.

Tarik Skubal was simply dominant for the Dodgers, twirling seven scoreless innings while striking out nine Reds batters. The man was locked in, mixing his fastball and changeup with surgical precision while allowing just three hits. This is the kind of pitching you dream about in September, the kind that makes you believe a team is destined for a deep playoff run. Meanwhile, Nick Lodolo labored through seven innings for Cincinnati, giving up four runs on three hits with four walks. The Reds’ ace couldn’t find his command, and it cost them dearly in a ballgame they desperately needed.

Kyle Tucker got the Dodgers off to a perfect start with a solo home run in the top of the second inning, his 15th of the season. Nothing fancy, nothing complicated. Just a fly ball to right field that found the seats. That early strike set the tone for what would be a frustrating night for the home crowd.

Teoscar Hernández then put the game on ice with a two-run blast in the fourth inning, his 14th homer of the year. At that point, Cincinnati was staring down a 3-0 deficit with a pitcher who couldn’t get out of his own way on the mound. The Reds weren’t going to climb out of that hole, not on this night, not against Skubal’s unhittable stuff.

Late Inning Dramatics Fail to Matter

Enrique Hernández added salt to the wound with a seventh-inning RBI single that scored Teoscar, pushing the Dodgers’ lead to an insurmountable 4-0. By that point, Cincinnati’s bats had completely disappeared. The Reds managed just three hits through seven innings against a Dodgers rotation that suddenly looks scary heading into October.

Elly De La Cruz provided the only offensive highlight for Cincinnati, launching a 457-foot solo blast in the ninth inning that briefly suggested a miraculous comeback. Of course, by then it was far too little, way too late. De La Cruz finished with 27 home runs on the season, but even his prodigious power couldn’t salvage this lopsided affair.

Postseason Picture Gets Clearer

The Dodgers’ clinching of the postseason berth shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone paying attention. This is a team with the offensive firepower of Tucker and Hernández, the pitching depth to throw Skubal at anyone, and the mental toughness to finish games. Cincinnati, meanwhile, got a dose of reality. De La Cruz is a generational talent, but you can’t win baseball games with one great player and spotty supporting cast.

Monday night in Cincinnati was a reminder that in September baseball, pitching wins games, and the Dodgers have it in spades. Look for them to bring this same formula into October, where the real season begins. The Reds, by contrast, have some serious questions to answer about their offensive production and roster construction as they limp toward the finish line.

The Dodgers aren’t just in the playoffs. They’re coming as a legitimate threat.