The Los Angeles Dodgers launched five home runs and rode a dominant performance from Blake Snell to defeat the Cincinnati Reds 10-5 in Game 1 of the National League Wild Card Series on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. The defending World Series champions now hold a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series, putting them one win away from advancing to the Division Series.
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Ohtani Sets the Tone Early
Shohei Ohtani and Teoscar Hernández each blasted two home runs, while Tommy Edman added a solo shot as the Dodgers tied a franchise postseason record with five homers that collectively traveled 1,997 feet. Ohtani wasted no time making his presence felt, launching a leadoff homer on just the fourth pitch of the game from Reds ace Hunter Greene. The reigning NL MVP crushed a 100.4 mph fastball at an exit velocity of 117.7 mph—the fastest pitch he's ever homered off in his major league career and the fourth-hardest postseason home run since Statcast began tracking in 2015.
“It was a really hard pitch to hit, but I felt like I reacted pretty well,” Ohtani said through a translator. “I was happy I was able to help the team score early.”
The two-way superstar wasn't finished, adding a mammoth 454-foot, two-run blast in the sixth inning—the longest postseason home run in Dodgers history.
Third Inning Onslaught Breaks Game Open
The Dodgers delivered a knockout blow in the bottom of the third inning, scoring four runs on back-to-back home runs. After walks to Freddie Freeman and Max Muncy, Hernández crushed a hanging slider from Greene deep to left field for a three-run homer, putting the Dodgers up 4-0.
Before the crowd of 50,555 could settle back into their seats, Edman followed with a solo shot that hooked around the right-field foul pole, extending the lead to 5-0. Greene, a Los Angeles native who grew up attending games at Dodger Stadium, lasted just three innings, allowing five runs on six hits including three home runs.
“We were talking about it pregame: We gotta establish our presence and really make our mark on this game early,” Edman said.
Snell Delivers Career-Best Postseason Performance
While the offense stole the headlines, Blake Snell provided exactly what the Dodgers needed on the mound. The two-time Cy Young Award winner struck out nine batters over seven innings, allowing just two runs on four hits and one walk while throwing only 91 pitches—the longest postseason start of his career.
“I felt really in control, could read swings and just kind of navigate through the lineup the way I wanted to,” Snell said.
The left-hander retired the first eight batters he faced and didn't allow his third hit until the seventh inning, when the Reds finally broke through with two runs. Snell's 15 changeup swing-and-misses were the most of any start in his career, as he varied speeds between 82 and 87 mph while mixing in 97 mph fastballs.
Bullpen Nearly Derails Dominant Victory
What had been a comfortable 10-2 lead after seven innings turned tense when the Dodgers' struggling bullpen took over. Cincinnati batted around in the eighth inning, scoring three runs as Los Angeles relievers Alex Vesia, Edgardo Henriquez and Jack Dreyer combined to issue four walks and needed 59 pitches to record three outs.
The Reds pulled within 10-5 and loaded the bases with one out, but Dreyer struck out Tyler Stephenson and induced a pop-up from Austin Hays to extinguish the rally. Blake Treinen closed out the ninth inning to secure the victory.
“When you start being too fine and getting behind, you start giving them free bases,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “That's how you can build innings and get momentum.”
Historical Context and What's Next
Ohtani and Hernández became just the fifth pair of teammates to hit two or more home runs each in a single postseason game. The Dodgers are attempting to become the first team to win back-to-back World Series titles since the New York Yankees captured three consecutive championships from 1998 to 2000.
History strongly favors the Dodgers heading into Game 2 on Wednesday at 9:08 p.m. ET—teams that win Game 1 have won 18 of 20 series since the current playoff format was introduced. The Reds, who entered the postseason as underdogs with just 83 wins, now face elimination with their All-Star lefty Andrew Abbott potentially waiting for Game 3.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto will take the mound for Los Angeles against Cincinnati's Zack Littell in Game 2, with the Dodgers looking to close out the series and advance to face the winner of the other Wild Card matchup.
