The Los Angeles Dodgers and Reds will begin their best-of-three Wild Card Series on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers, by virtue of winning the National League West, will have home-field advantage throughout the series. The Reds, meanwhile, were Major League Baseball’s final team to qualify for the postseason, not punching their tickets until the season’s last day.
The winner of this series will advance to the Divisional Round, where they’ll play against the well-rested Philadelphia Phillies. (Elsewhere in the NL, the Milwaukee Brewers will play whichever team prevails in the Wild Card Series between the Chicago Cubs and the San Diego Padres.)
Here’s the Wild Card Series schedule for the Reds vs. Dodgers:
|
Game 1 |
Tues., Sept. 30 |
9:08 p.m. ET |
ESPN |
fubo |
|
Game 2 |
Weds., Oct. 1 |
9:08 p.m. ET |
ESPN |
fubo |
|
Game 3 |
Thurs., Oct. 2 |
TBD |
TBD |
TBD |
Where to watch Game 1
Date: Tuesday, Sept. 30 | Time: 9:08 p.m. ET
Location: Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles)
TV channel: ESPN | Live stream: Fubo (try for free)
Probable pitchers: RHP Hunter Greene (CIN) vs. TBA
Odds: LAD -176 | CIN + 143 (via DraftKings)
Here’s what you need to know about the Reds and the Dodgers entering the Wild Card Series.
Wild Card Series storylines
Reds: The Reds are making their first playoff appearance as part of a full-length regular season since 2013. (Cincinnati was part of the pandemic-expanded 2020 postseason as well.) The Reds did not find much success against the Dodgers during the regular season, going 1-5 and being outscored by 15 runs overall. Cincinnati is seeking its first postseason series victory since 1995.
Dodgers: The Dodgers were one of the most injury-ravaged teams during the regular season, but it can be argued that they’re closer to full health now than at any prior point. Indeed, the Dodgers will have their full slate of top starters to throw out there, including Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Shohei Ohtani, and Tyler Glasnow. Clayton Kershaw, who announced his intention to retire after the playoffs, will not be on the roster after starting Sunday. Another notable player the Dodgers may not have, at least for this series, is catcher Will Smith. He suffered a hairline fracture in his hand early in September that has left him sidelined since. The Dodgers are hopeful he can return at some point this month, provided that the rest of the team finds a way to play deeper into the postseason.