The Dodgers didn’t just beat the Reds on Thursday. They used Great American Ball Park to finish the job on the NL West, then let the celebration spill into Cincinnati’s visiting clubhouse after an 8-2 win.
For the Reds, it was another brutal entry in a September they’d rather forget. This was the third time in seven games that an opponent clinched a postseason spot against them, and the second time this week alone. Less than a week after the Brewers sealed their own playoff berth in Milwaukee against Cincinnati, the Dodgers did the same in the series finale of a four-game set.
Los Angeles wrapped up its 13th National League West title in 14 years, while the Reds were left staring at the same ugly reality: they’re back to a season-low 10 games under .500.
That kind of stretch tells the story of where this season has gone. Cincinnati dropped six of seven to the Dodgers in an 11-day span, and the gap between the clubs showed on the scoreboard too.
The Reds were outscored 41-15 across those games, with the Dodgers getting Shohei Ohtani for only the first game before he went on the injured list with a knee issue. In the only Dodgers win during that stretch, two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell left after one inning because of groin tightness.
The bigger picture is even harsher. The Reds have now lost 11 of 13 to the Dodgers dating back to July 30 last season, a run that includes a two-game playoff sweep at Dodger Stadium. Last season, Cincinnati earned the final wild-card berth and then was swept in two games by Los Angeles.
This one did at least give the Reds a small jolt late. Rookie of the Year favorite Sal Stewart kept them from being blanked for the second time in the series when he homered in the fourth inning.
It was his first home run since August, ending a drought of 64 plate appearances without one. Stewart now has 32 home runs and 109 RBIs.
Even with that, the Reds slid back to 71-81, their season low-water mark of 11 games under .500, and they head into the weekend with the Cubs coming to town for the final home series of the year. The last time Cincinnati was 12 games under .500, it was finishing the 100-loss 2022 season.
Manager Terry Francona said he doesn’t spend much time tracking the other clubs’ celebrations.
“I always leave and come in here (to the clubhouse),” said the manager who was in the middle of the bubbly-soaked, cigar-smoking celebration when the Reds clinched a wild-card berth in Milwaukee on the final day of last season. “Whether good, bad or in between, that’s their business. … Everybody’s different.”
Still, the calendar keeps setting up more of the same. The Reds could see three more teams clinch in their final three series, with the Cubs chasing a wild-card clincher this weekend, the Braves potentially locking up the NL East during Cincinnati’s trip to Atlanta next week, and the Blue Jays possibly lining up for an AL wild-card celebration by the time the Reds reach Canada.
For a team that hasn’t won a playoff series in 31 years, the reminders are piling up fast. And when Thursday ended, the Reds had their own dubious clincher to absorb: for the ninth time in 13 years, they’ll finish with a losing record.
In Other News...
Tyler Stephensons Reds Future Suddenly Feels Far More Uncertain
Tyler Stephensons latest injury setback has added another layer of uncertainty to a season that already had plenty of it for the Reds. He left the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers with a hamstring injury, and now there is real doubt about whether he will get back on the field before the year is over. For a Cincinnati club that has already been eliminated from postseason contention, the focus has shifted quickly from standings to what comes next, especially around one of the more important names on the roster.
Stephenson is headed toward free agency after the season, which makes every development feel a little heavier now. The Reds chose to keep him at the trade deadline, a move that drew questions at the time, and this injury only sharpens the attention on what his future in Cincinnati might look like. What once seemed like a straightforward stretch run for a player the Reds still value now feels far less settled. [Read more 🡒]
Noelvi Marte's Future With The Reds May Not Be About His Bat
Noelvi Martes situation with the Reds has drifted into a place where the conversation is no longer just about whether his bat is ready. After being optioned back to Triple-A Louisville in August, he is expected to stay there for the rest of the 2026 season, a development that reflects both his uneven offensive performance and the clubs bigger-picture roster considerations.
Marte has struggled to get on base since returning, with a low walk rate and on-base percentage doing little to help his case for a rapid move back to Cincinnati. His 2024 PED suspension and extended time in the minors also mean he has not accrued Major League service time this season, a detail that could weigh heavily as the Reds weigh the value of keeping a young player around at a low salary cost. [Read more 🡒]
JJ Wetherholt Is Making This Rookie Race Very Uncomfortable For Reds Fans
JJ Wetherholts return from injury has put a little more heat back on a 2026 National League Rookie of the Year conversation that already felt like it could go either way. The Cardinals infielder has become one of the leading candidates in the eyes of advanced metrics such as AXE ratings, and that kind of backing matters when a race starts to tighten around two young players who are making different cases for themselves.
For Reds fans, the uncomfortable part is obvious: Sal Stewart still has the kind of traditional offensive line that keeps him squarely in the mix, even as Wetherholts all-around profile keeps growing louder in the background. The award is far from settled, and the real intrigue now is whether voters lean toward the numbers that measure broader value or stay with the more familiar production that jumps off the page. [Read more 🡒]