Reds vs. Dodgers: Pitching preview, prediction, and more

The Reds meet their greatest challenge yet as they visit Dodger Stadium.

The cliche goes something like this – what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. If that’s to be believed, the Cincinnati Reds (9-12) will return to the Queen City following their trip to Hollywood with Herculean strength.

Whether it was the bullpen during the Arizona series or the lack of offense and less than stellar performances from Sonny Gray and Luis Castillo versus St. Louis, this club is in complete free-fall. Flying to Los Angeles will provide absolutely no comfort at all.

Cincinnati is just 2-7 through their first nine road contests and has been blanked three times. The horrible road record has been justifiably earned as the Reds have been outscored 42-24 away from Great American Ball Park.

As a surprise to absolutely nobody, the Los Angeles Dodgers (15-7) enter play Monday night sitting in first-place in the National League West. Los Angeles has won a remarkable eight consecutive division crowns and hasn’t finished lower than second-place since the 2011 season. In other words, it’s business as usual for manager David Roberts’ squad.

Since 2013 the Dodgers have advanced to the NLCS five times and captured the pennant three times. Interestingly, two of the Dodgers’ last three championship seasons have occurred during years in which a full 162 game schedule wasn’t completed. Los Angeles captured the 1981 title during a player’s strike-shortened season and last year’s COVID pandemic-riddled campaign.

Throughout their long and storied history, the Reds have faced the Dodgers more than any other opponent. Even though the series does not carry the same electric atmosphere of past decades, it’s always exciting when the longtime rivals meet.