Blake Snell vs. Hunter Greene.
The Reds may have backed into the playoffs with a loss in their final game and a 83-79 record (10 games worse than the Dodgers), but it doesn't matter now--they're on level ground with the winners of the NL West. And since anything can happen in the playoffs--the Reds have a 31.4% chance of advancing, according to Fangraphs--I'm already pretty nervous (as usual).
The fact that we're starting Blake Snell for Game 1 doesn't settle my stomach much, either. Snell, who missed almost all of the first four months of the season with assorted boo boos, did not pitch against Cincinnati this year.
Notre Dame Sherman Oaks graduate Hunter Greene pitched one game against the Dodgers this season, on August 25, 2025. He took the loss having pitched 5.0 innings: 6 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 2 HR (both by Andy Pages), 2 BB and 3 Ks. Michael Conforto, Freddie Freeman, and Will Smith all struck out against Greene, but Conforto and Freeman also had doubles against Greene before he exited, and Smith's walk against Greene in the bottom of the sixth (with none out and one on) chased Greene from the game.
Pages knocked in five runs in that game. I assume he will be in the starting lineup today.
And of course, this game marks another return to Dodger Stadium for former Dodger and 2024 World Series Champion, Gavin Lux. Lux, whose -0.2 WAR paled in comparison to (his replacement) Hyeseong Kim's 1.6 WAR, still had a respectable year, with a 97 OPS+ of .724 (relative to Kim's OPS .699 / OPS+ 95). So maybe trading Lux was a wash? He still has a mean ultimate frisbee forehand.
But the one to watch in Cincinnati's lineup has to be Elly De La Cruz, who played in every game for the Reds this year, batting .264 with a .777 OPS (109 OPS+, to lead the team). He mashes (a team-leading 22 HR), but also strikes out a lot (a team leading 181 Ks--which to be fair is six fewer than Shohei Ohtani). We need to keep him off the basepaths this series, or there will be no more plane rides for us this year.
(Lux photo: John Hefti-Imagn Images, from Sports Illustrated)
UPDATE 9.30 2p: Will Smith makes the NL Wild Card roster. Justin Dean grabs an outfielder spot, alng with Alex Call; Michael Conforto does not make the cut. Also, on the pitching side, Roki Sasaki makes the roster; Clayton Kershaw, who pitched the last game of the regular season, will not be on the NLWC squad (as has been widely reported for days now).
114 comments:
playoffs is a new season. slate wiped clean. the championship goes through LA. lets fucking do this!
No score after 1......Walking Dead Padres and Cubbys.
Tigers win 2-1.
Padres up 1-0 through four.
Suzuki ties it up with a solo. 1-1 B5.
Kelly goes back to back with Suzuki. Cubs up 2-1.
3-1 Cubbys B8.
Going to the ninth Cubs up 3-1
Michael Conforto does not make the NLWC roster. Updated GT.
Cubs win, 3-1.
CUBS WIN!!!!! CUBS WIN!!!!!
Bye Week lost
1-0 Damn Yankees T4.
2-1 BoSOX T7!!!!!!
Watching the Damned One's bullpen is a little like watching ours.
Just put up a new post with a picture of the rally towel giveaway today. Hat tip to our favorite stringer!
GAME 1 LINEUP
Ohtani DH
Betts SS
Freeman 1B
Muncy 3B
T Hernandez RF
Edman 2B
Pages CF
K Hernandez LF
Rortvedt C
Snell P
Will Smith is not in the lineup. But Max Muncy is!
I'm a little surprised Kiké gets the start but I suppose that's gonna happen with Conforto not on the roster.
Let's go, boys!
Here we go!
I’ve got Nelson and Monday on as I’m grilling
Strikeout and fly out. But here’s andujar.
7-pitch first for Snellster
Nice quick inning for Snellzilla.
Greene’s first pitch is 101mph. That is just nuts.
SHOHEI BABY!!!!
shohei!!
Shohei!!!
Oh yeah!
Shohei HR and Betts single
Edman looks horrible. why is he in there? he cant pivot on that ankle
Oh man. I didn’t see it, but we can’t have Muncy and Edman flailing up there
Snell Ks De La Cruz for his second scoreless. Nice.
Kike of course with a hit. Because it’s the playoffs
Shohei Ks to end the inning.
Dammit
Snell has traffic in the third.
Snell wiggles off the hook with his 4th K of the night.
Snell works out of it.
Let’s get some damn runs
Betts flies to center. One out.
TEO!!
TEO BABY!!!!! 4-0 Blue.
Edman!!
Tommy Tanks goes back to back! 5-0 Boys
well shut my mouth
i guess shohei has called it a day after that first inning homerun. he's struck out twice since
Snellzilla dealing fire today
Teo with a second HR of the night!
Teo again!!
TEO X2!!
Muncy: 0-for-2 with 2 Ks. Not good
Ohtani and Edman also have 2 Ks each, but each have a HR as well.
6-0 LA through 5. Rojas replaces Edman at second.
Snell with his 9th K, sixth scoreless inning!
Shohei again!!
OHTANI!!!
Ohtani with a two-run HR, scoring Kiké.
8-0 LA
454 feet!
Gosh I can't wait to watch these highlights.
SHOHEI (again!!). 8-0 LA.
Four-pitch walk to Mookie. Still two out.
a few more runs and we'll be tanner scott proof
Connor Phillips tries to hit Mookie with ball four. Not cool.
@Spanky.......We need 2 more to be Tanner Scott proof.
Freeman with a ground rule double to advance Mookie to third, but Muncy Ks for a THIRD time to end the threat. Great.
Two one-out singles put Reds at the corners, one out, T7. Snell at ~80 pitches.
First career postseason start for Snell of more than six innings. I like it.
Oh, maybe I don't like it. De La Cruz blows up the shutout.
De La Cruz forces Steer at second, but Hays scores. De La Cruz to first.
Sounds like it should have been a double play? Dodgers challenge.
Call is confirmed, De La Cruz is safe.
8-1 LA
BOOOOOO
RBI double by Tyler Stephenson scores Elly. So now it's 8-2 LA, two out. Snell showing cracks.
Speaking of which, what happened to Stephen Nelson? Suddenly Rick Monday is doing play by play.
Ke'Bryan Hayes grounds out.
Snell's line: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 9 Ks.
Someone give Stephen Nelson some CPR!
Teoscar Hernandez flies to left. Bench his ass!
Stephen Nelson has been resurrected. He's back on the radio call.
Rojas single to right. One out.
Starting the NYT Wednesday crossword.
Call PH single and then Marte throws to third...where no one was there! Rojas scores! Call takes third base!
9-2 LA
10-2 LA
Rortvedt single! 10-2 LA
spank: LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOO
Ohtani rung up, called strike 3.
10-2 LA, through 7
Vesia in for Snell.
Vesia gets Friedl after a long AB, but runner on second.
8:51 Wed crossword time. Not great, but I was distracted.
So is Vesia, it seems. He's throwing a lot of pitches here.
Vesia fucking walks Marte, who was 0-for-3 tonight. Come on, Alex!
Vesia gone. 22 pitches, one out recorded. Not good, Alex.
Vesia couldnt last one inning. not a good start for relievers
Fucking Henriquez comes in and walks Andujar. Bases loaded.
GET A FUCKING OUT, BULLPEN
Henriquez can't find the fucking strike zone! He's 3-1 on Sal fucking Stewart
Henriquez walks in a run!
FUCK YOU GUYS, GET A GODDAMN GRIP
Henriquez: 12 pitches, 4 strikes. Who the fuck cares if you're throwing 103 if you can't locate the fucking pitch
@Sax Get a FUBO free trial. That’s how me and the Mrs are watching.
holy shit the bullpen sucks
2-0 count to Steer. Get Henriquez the fuck out of here
Henriquez couldn't find the strike zone with a fucking map
even the old ladies in the crowd are like fuck this bullshit
Henriquez, you fucking suck. Get off this roster.
I think we need more runs
@Quad 8.42p: I'll try that. Thanks
Though if Henriquez is on, I'm not going to watch this shit
Dreyer comes in and also walks in a run. It's 10-5.
This bullpen sucks. If Snell can't go 9, we're fucked.
fucking ridiculous
WTF is wrong with this bullpen????
Emmet Sheehan warming up. That's the only move we've got.
The ninth and tenth pitches from Dreyer aren't even close to the strike zone.
We are hopeless.
Dreyer actually gets a K.
I'm not breathing easy yet. Here's Hayes. Two out, bases still juiced.
Big strikeout for Dreyer!
Dreyer gets out of this with a pop to Freeman.
What the fuck, guys.
You know the Phillies are looking at this bullpen and just salivating.
Betts and Freeman single, but of course Muncy does nothing. 0-for-4 tonight, Max.
Treinen in for the ninth. He has a full count on McLain but gets the K for the first out.
Friedl Ks. Two out.
Lux singles with two out, to keep the Reds alive.
WIN
that's a wrap
PGT up!
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