When you’re the better team on paper, the worst thing about a three-game series is the comical amount of variance, and also how much of advantage winning Game 1 affords.
Well, today was a matchup of aces between Hunter Greene and Blake Snell, and thankfully only Snell pitched like one as the Dodgers got to Greene early and often to jump out to a big lead. Snell gave the Dodgers his longest playoff outing of his career, but it still almost wasn’t enough for the bullpen, who had to use three pitchers to barely get through their first inning of work.
In the end, though, style points don’t actually count, and the Dodgers took home a 10-5 win in the end to put themselves within a game of advancing to the NLDS.
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The Reds started their ace Hunter Greene, one of the best pitchers in baseball, but thankfully the Dodgers have Shohei Ohtani, who started their game by smoking a ball at 118 MPH to right for a homer and a 1-0 lead.
LEADOFF HOMER? SHO OFF. pic.twitter.com/xD0rUBoRHB
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 1, 2025
117.7 mph off of Shohei’s bat. ? pic.twitter.com/p56F7hrION
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 1, 2025
Mookie Betts followed with a single on an 0-2 count, and then Freddie Freeman hit an oppo flyball hard for a flyout, as the promising start continued. Max Muncy struck out next, but Teoscar Hernandez grounded a single to left to put a pair on. Unfortunately they couldn’t capitalize, as Tommy Edman also struck out to end that rally.
Greene began the 2nd better by getting a groundout, but Enrique Hernandez singled to continue his playoff magic, and Ben Rortvedt sac bunted to move him over. Rather than intentionally walk Shohei, the Reds pitched to him, and they managed to catch him guessing on a 3-2 pitch for a strikeout to strand that runner as well.
Hunter Greene, 101mph ⛽️ pic.twitter.com/vrbfk4IX5i
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) October 1, 2025
The Dodgers got back to threatening in the 3rd, as after a flyout to start the frame, Freddie and Muncy drew back-to-back walks to put a pair on. Teoscar then came up and took a wild pitch for ball one before getting a hanging slider and doing what he’s supposed to with it for a three-run homer. Tommy then came up next and yanked a homer down the line in right for back-to-back jacks, a four-run inning, and a 5-0 lead.
TEOSCAR AND TOMMY GO BACK-TO-BACK. pic.twitter.com/K7H4yGKRNb
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 1, 2025
Every angle of Teoscar Hernández’s bat flip gets better #Postseason https://t.co/2ROgc4oraQ pic.twitter.com/UtG9WgfqFS
— MLB (@MLB) October 1, 2025
Greene got the next two to get through three frames, but that was it for him, as Terry Francona turned to his pen.
Old friend Scott Barlow was first out in the 4th, and all he did was carve through 9-1-2 by striking out the side. He then got the first two outs of the 5th as well, before Connor Phillips entered and promptly gave up another Teoscar homer, this one on an 0-2 pitch and oppo to make it 6-0.
TEOSCAR AGAIN! pic.twitter.com/p8ramwy8mS
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 1, 2025
That Teoscar bat flip. ? pic.twitter.com/ga7eBsKYlQ
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 1, 2025
Phillips got the last out of the 5th, but he continued in the 6th. After getting an out, Enrique Hernandez got his second single of the night, another out followed, and then Shohei did the same as Teoscar and hit his second homer of the night to make it 8-0.
2HOHEI OHTANI. pic.twitter.com/jyPwHiQvXB
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 1, 2025
Shohei making it look easy. pic.twitter.com/5Kh01wYv55
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 1, 2025
flex on ’em Sho ? https://t.co/bGErYkYuVJ pic.twitter.com/f85oXDhbU8
— Cut4 (@Cut4) October 1, 2025
Shohei Ohtani ? Teoscar Hernández
Two-homer games tonight! #Postseason pic.twitter.com/7EGaP2ZGbA
— MLB (@MLB) October 1, 2025
After a walk followed, Brent Suter relieved Phillips and gave up a ground-rule double to Freddie to put a pair in scoring position, but Muncy struck out for the third time of the night to silence that chance.
Phew, that was a lot, huh? I’m glad it was. Now to the other side.
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For the Dodgers, it was Blake Snell on the mound, and things got off to basically an ideal start. He began in the 1st by getting a strikeout on five pitches and then induced two first-pitch flyouts to get the side in order on just seven pitches. Snell then got a groundout and flyout on four pitches to start the 2nd, then finished with a strikeout to get through that inning on just nine more pitches.
Blake Snell, Nasty 81mph Curveball. ? pic.twitter.com/JdJpQfzrrz
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) October 1, 2025
The 3rd was a bit different, though he did start with a strikeout and groundout. However, a double down the line in left and a walk gave the Reds a bit of a rally before Snell notched another strikeout to end that threat.
Blake Snell’s 2Ks in the 3rd pic.twitter.com/vc57UqQmME
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) October 1, 2025
Snell got right back to it in the 4th, striking out the first two of the inning, before getting a comebacker to end the frame in tidy fashion.
Blake Snell’s 2Ks in the 4th.
6Ks thru 4 pic.twitter.com/Se5QhkDeT0
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) October 1, 2025
He got just one strikeout in the 5th, but also threw just 10 pitches.
Blake Snell is dealing ? #Postseason pic.twitter.com/3eA5lSqq4Y
— MLB (@MLB) October 1, 2025
Snell then resumed the multiple strikeout innings in the 6th, when he got two in another 1-2-3 frame on 10 pitches. The Dodgers also began to deploy their defensive replacement, as Miguel Rojas entered for Edman.
9 strikeouts6 scoreless inningsBlake Snell is dominating in L.A. #Postseason pic.twitter.com/Bunok3J3Qn
— MLB (@MLB) October 1, 2025
He finally faltered a bit in the 7th, as after a groundout, he gave up a groundball single, then another single that deflected off Freddie’s glove to corner the runners. Elly De La Cruz then grounded a ball at Mookie, but the trio of him, Miguel Rojas, and Freddie couldn’t turn it in time and the Reds’ first run scored. A Tyler Stephenson double followed to score De La Cruz and make it 8-2 before he was able to end the frame.
Despite that hiccup in low leverage, he was dominant tonight, not only limiting damage but also being efficient to give the Dodgers the length they needed (longest of his playoff career): 7 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 9 K, 91 Pitches.
Blake Snell gives the Dodgers his longest playoff start, striking out 9 over 7 dominant frames. pic.twitter.com/MtBnzueCmO
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) October 1, 2025
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So that kinda sucked, but the Dodgers were back on offense in the bottom of the 7th, and Suter was still in the game. He started with a flyout, then Rojas singled and another flyout put him on the verge of getting through things scoreless.
However, Alex Call then hit for Enrique — who worryingly had his back tighten up on him — and he singled to right, which ended up scoring Rojas when Noelvi Marte‘s throw trying to get him going for third went into the dugout. Call also advanced to third on the play, and Ben Rortvedt’s single scored him to restore the eight-run lead at 10-2. He did get Shohei to end the inning, but yeah, not what the Reds needed.
Speaking of not getting what they needed, the Dodgers pen started in the 8th and they didn’t really help assuage fan concerns. Alex Vesia started by giving up a single, got an out on a groundout that advanced the runner, then issued a walk. He labored through 22 pitches in three batters, and Dave Roberts saw enough, going to get him for Edgardo Henriquez. He started with a walk of his own to load the bases, then walked Sal Stewart to force a run in before giving up a single to Spencer Steer to drive in another to make it 10-4.
The @Reds are making things interesting ?#Postseason pic.twitter.com/mmamXsGfQm
— MLB (@MLB) October 1, 2025
Dave then had to come out again, this time going to Jack Dreyer, but he also issued a walk to De La Cruz to force in yet another run and make it 10-5. He then went full again against Stephenson, but won the 11-pitch battle with a strikeout before getting Ke’Bryan Hayes to pop out to end the threat.
Dodgers escape the 8th inning with a five-run lead #Postseason pic.twitter.com/mG3Qd2r3ZR
— MLB (@MLB) October 1, 2025
My god, man.
8-run lead isn’t enough for them to pitch with confidence in the zone, lmao.
— Chad Moriyama (@chadmoriyama.bsky.social) September 30, 2025 at 5:41 PM
It’s hard for the pen to get some of that sample size luck when they simply walk everybody.
— Chad Moriyama (@chadmoriyama.bsky.social) September 30, 2025 at 5:55 PM
The Dodgers again tried to add suddenly needed insurance in the 8th against Graham Ashcraft, starting with singles from Mookie and Freddie. However, two outs followed before Rojas got grazed on a pitch to load things up, but Pages couldn’t take advantage when he grounded out.
To close things out for the Dodgers, Dave turned to Blake Treinen, which seemed like it might be an adventure. Instead he struck out the first two batters he faced before giving up a bloop single that bounced off Justin Dean‘s diving attempt. Treinen locked back in from there, getting a groundout to end it.
The @Dodgers are one win away from their 13th straight NLDS appearance! #Postseason pic.twitter.com/v2oNcgarl1
— MLB (@MLB) October 1, 2025
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First pitch of the postseason went to old friend Joe Kelly in his mariachi outfit.
Two-time World Series champion Joe Kelly threw out the first pitch at Dodger Stadium tonight ? pic.twitter.com/6U9oeddyuu
— MLB (@MLB) October 1, 2025
The crowd at Dodger Stadium was vibing.
Aura #Postseason pic.twitter.com/LsOCpLAWRT
— MLB (@MLB) October 1, 2025
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The good news? Every team that has won Game 1 of the WCS has advanced since it started. The bad news? That just means there’s a chance to make history!
Game 2 of the NLWCS will be at the same time of 3:00 PM HT/6:00 PM PT/9:00 PM ET and on ESPN again. It’ll be Yoshinobu Yamamoto facing off against Zack Littell, which feels like a mismatch on paper, but … you know how that goes.
