Dodgers Take Game 1, Hold off Reds Rally

Shohei Ohtani of the Dodgers celebrating during Game 1 of the Wild Card Series against the Reds

Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

September 30, 2025

Dodgers 10, Reds 5

The Los Angeles Dodgers took Game One of their three-game Wild Card series against the Cincinnati Reds at Dodger Stadium Tuesday night. The Cincinnati Reds are playing in their first full-season postseason appearance since 2013. The matchup pits one of baseball’s most consistent powerhouses against a club eager to prove it belongs on this stage.

Dodgers-Reds Game Summary

Dodgers Pouring It on Early

Shohei Ohtani was aggressive early as he put the Dodgers on the board first with a solo shot in the bottom of the first. Blake Snell had a dominant outing, retiring the first seven batters he faced. He stifled the Red’s lineup, getting ahead in the count against batters and forcing them into defensive swings, keeping them off balance. Snell went seven innings, posting six scoreless (7 IP, 9 K, 1 BB, 4 H, 2 ER).

While Snell kept the Reds quiet offensively, the Dodgers had an outpour of offense. Hunter Greene struggled in his postseason debut against the stacked Dodgers’ lineup. In the third, he walked two batters and threw a wild pitch that advanced both into scoring position. Teoscar Hernandez then cleared the bases with a three-run homer. Tommy Edman contributed with a solo shot of his own to blow the game open, giving the Dodgers a 5-0 lead. Greene was pulled after three innings.

Late-Inning Rally

In the fifth, Teoscar homered again, and with a two-run homer by Ohtani in the following inning, the lead came to 8-0. After being held scoreless by Snell, the Reds were finally able to string together offense in the seventh. Elly De La Cruz used his speed to beat out a double play for an RBI single, scoring Austin Hays. Tyler Stephenson drove in De La Cruz with an RBI double, and the Reds started showing life.

The Dodgers were able to get those two runs back in the bottom of the seventh, making the game 10-2.

After the relief unit came in the eighth for the Dodgers, the Reds immediately took advantage. Alex Vesia was pulled after there were two runners on for Edgardo Henriquez. Henriquez struggled to find the strike zone, loading the bases and walking in a third run for the Reds. A single by Spencer Steer brought in another run, and Jack Dreyer was called in to replace Henriquez on the mound. After walking in another run, bringing the Dodgers’ lead to 10-5, Dreyer was able to stop the bleeding and end the nightmare inning for the Dodgers.

Blake Treinen took the mound in the ninth to close the game for the Dodgers. He delivered a quiet inning and closed the door on the Reds, only giving up one hit to former Dodger Gavin Lux.

What Went Wrong for the Reds

Hunter Greene’s Ineffective Start

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Greene’s shaky outing against the Dodger lineup set the tone early on. Early walks and multiple home runs allowed the Dodgers to take a commanding lead. The hole he dug them into in the early innings made it hard for them to come back, even with their eighth-inning rally. By the time they started to string offense together, the lead was too large.

Late Offensive Start

The Reds struggled to do anything offensively against Blake Snell for six innings. They fell behind in counts and were swinging defensively. In the third, when it looked like they had something going against Snell, they failed to produce with a runner in scoring position.

” The big difference-maker was his change-up–it was his ability to manipulate the change-up, like even vary it,” Reds manager Terry Francona said postgame when asked about why Snell was so tough to hit against.

What Went Right for the Reds

Showing Life With Late-Inning Rally

Despite a rough start to the game, the Reds did not go quietly and fought hard to stay in the game. They got to Snell in the seventh, bringing in two runs against him and forcing Dave Roberts to take him out. This opened the opportunity for them to take advantage of the struggling Dodger bullpen. After the bullpen came in, they managed to bring in three more runs and put the Dodger relievers in a stressful situation.

Though they could not complete the rally, the Reds showed the resilience that they will need to go out and win Games 2 and 3 against a powerhouse team.

What Went Wrong for the Dodgers

Bullpen Struggles Continue

The Dodger bullpen let the Reds see daylight, and they were on their way to mounting a comeback. They struggled collectively to find the strike zone and were gifting the Reds runs in a high-stakes situation. Lack of consistency and control among the Dodger relievers has been a problem all regular season. Their relief unit ranked 18th in relief corps power rankings, the third-lowest among postseason teams. If the Dodgers expect to go deep into the postseason, their bullpen will need to be better and back up the starters.

Dave Roberts’ Bullpen Choices

Dave Roberts burned three arms in a single inning. The fact that this is a three-game series may mean that it isn’t a vital mistake. However, it does point to Robert’s making questionable decisions that may hurt the Dodgers should they advance in the postseason.

Alex Vesia had two runners on with one out. Instead of trusting a battle-tested pitcher in Vesia to get out of the spot, he turned to young reliever Edgardo Henriquez, who couldn’t find the strike zone and promptly gave up two runs. Roberts then had to call in Jack Dreyer to get them out of the inning, but not before giving up another run himself.

The rapid succession of pitching changes exposed the relief corps when a different approach may have minimized the damage.

“If we don’t feel comfortable using certain guys with an eight-run lead, then we’ve got to think through some things. But as you pitch guys, you start to learn more about guys. And that’s kind of how it goes,” said Roberts.

What Went Right for the Dodgers

Snell’s Dominant Start

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Blake Snell set the tone early, stifling the Reds’ offense. Retiring the first seven batters he faced, he wasted no pitches and stayed ahead in the count, keeping the lineup off-balance. His command and efficiency gave the team confidence, and they were able to provide him with run support.

“…The mindset is attack and put up a zero the next inning and get the guys back in the dugout so they can hit and get them going in a rhythm,” said Snell.

Early Run Support Powers Dodgers

The Dodgers attacked early, tacking on runs, making it easier for Snell to pitch with run support. They wasted no time putting pressure on the Reds, consistently putting runners in scoring position and delivering. The early surge allowed the Dodgers room for error, which proved important after the disastrous eighth inning.

Their aggressive approach at the plate dictated the pace and flow of the game, and they carried the momentum throughout multiple innings.

Quick Hits

Since 2018, the Dodgers have a .834 win percentage when outhomering their opponent. Blake Snell also has an 11.9 K/9 K rate, which is the highest among all active pitchers.

Looking Ahead

The Reds and Dodgers face off again on October 1st, at 6:08 pm Pacific. Yoshinobu Yamamoto (12-8, 2.49 ERA) will take the mound against Zack Littell (10-8, 3.81 ERA). The Reds look to bounce back and even the series, while the Dodgers hope to take the win and advance to the NLDS.