With the NL West crown perched on their brows, the Los Angeles Dodgers will now turn their attention to the Cincinnati Reds. The Dodgers will face off against the sixth seed of the National League bracket in the Wild Card round. A date with the NL East champion Philadelphia Phillies could await them. Ahead of their Wild Card opener on Tuesday, team beat writer Sonja Chen reported via X, formerly Twitter, that manager Dave Roberts is leaning towards starting lefty Blake Snell in Game 1.
“It's a ‘pretty good bet' that Blake Snell starts Wild Card Game 1, Dave Roberts said, but it's not official,” reported Chen on Sunday evening.
The Reds surged back to retake the final NL Wild Card spot. Their excellent play over the last few weeks, in addition to the New York Mets' collapse, gave Cincinnati a shot in the dance. Now, they'll look to prove they belong by slaying the mighty Dodgers. Meanwhile, Roberts and his team had a sometimes-inconsistent form in their quest to reclaim the NL West title. Furthermore, they are also defending their World Series trophy after defeating the New York Yankees in last year's edition of the Fall Classic. Can Snell get the defending champions on the right track Tuesday evening?
Dodgers look to defeat surging Reds, advance deeper into playoffs
If the Dodgers can harness the form that displayed last postseason, then a run through the NL field could definitely happen. However, this year's set of NL playoff squads looks deeper. Even the Reds as the sixth seed look dangerous right now. Beating them will require most, if not all, of LA's star power. Luckily, Roberts has a lot of star power to call on.
Snell has had an excellent first season in Dodger blue. Having the two-time Cy Young Award winner lead off their playoff run gives them a great chance at a Game 1 win. Although he didn't face the Reds this season, his last time against them in 2024 was a masterpiece: a no-hitter in which he struck out eleven Cincinnati batters. Wouldn't it be something if he pitched a gem like that on Tuesday night?
