Los Angeles Dodgers Superstars Might Be Too Much For Cincinnati Reds

It will be none other than the Cincinnati Reds who can blow out the candles on not only one of the best individual seasons in major league history but one of the best pitching careers as well.

Although the Los Angeles Dodgers have some question marks heading into the National League wild-card series against the Reds that starts Tuesday, Shohei Ohtani is not one of them.

Back to his superhero two-way form, Ohtani became the first player in major league history to hit at least 50 home runs and record at least 50 strikeouts as a pitcher. That includes the mythical Babe Ruth, who struck out over 100 batters in three different seasons and hit at least 50 home runs in four, but never had the feats overlap.

Officially, Ohtani ended what is widely expected to be another MVP season with 55 home runs and 102 RBIs as a hitter and 62 strikeouts and a 2.87 ERA in 14 starts (47 innings) as a pitcher.

Those numbers came a year after he delivered the first 50/50 offensive season in history with 54 home runs and 59 steals while winning the NL MVP in 2024, his first season in Los Angeles to start a 10-year, $700 million contract.

With his own career of mythical proportions coming to a close, Kershaw won’t even be on the Dodgers’ wild-card series roster after pitching in the team’s regular-season finale Sunday. Kershaw will need the Dodgers to advance to the NL Division Series in order to see the mound at least one more time.

Kershaw made the last regular-season home start of his legendary career on Sept. 19 and made his last regular-season appearance Sunday at Seattle.

The 37-year-old made 455 regular-season appearances (451 starts) and went 223-96 with a 2.53 ERA. He had 3,052 strikeouts over 2,855 1/3 innings for an average of 9.6 strikeouts per nine innings over a brilliant 17-year run. The strikeout total is 20th best in MLB history.

His postseason resume has some disappointment, but it also has grand accomplishments as well, in a juxtaposition he has noted.

“I’ve been through a lot, ups and downs here,” Kershaw noted on the occasion of his 3,000th career strikeout in July. “More downs than I care to admit, you know.”

And yet the Reds can steal the spotlight with some talent reared in Los Angeles and its environs.

Cincinnati right-hander Hunter Greene was raised in the nearby San Fernando Valley, while left-hander Nick Lodolo was reared in the outer San Gabriel Valley. Gavin Lux grew up in Wisconsin but was a member of the Dodgers’ organization for nine years until he was traded in January.

Greene was brilliant in five September starts as the Reds wrapped up their playoff spot. He was 2-0 with a 2.64 ERA in five starts over the final month and went 3-1 with a 2.81 ERA in eight starts after returning from a long IL stint because of a right groin strain.

Green vowed to make up for the lost time and he stayed true to his word.

“Obviously our team has given a lot,” Greene said shortly after his return. “… There is a lot that I do owe this team, and I feel that, and I know that, and I embrace it.

“… Those guys have been grinding all year, and I care about that and I’m considerate about that.”

Lux knows his way around playoff pressure situations. His walk in the ninth inning of Game 1 in last year’s World Series helped pave the way toward Freddie Freeman’s memorable game-winning grand slam. He also had a game-tying sacrifice fly in the eighth inning as the Dodgers rallied to the victory in Game 5 that clinched the title.

“That’s what we play for every day,” Lux said after receiving his World Series ring during a Dodger Stadium visit in August. “I hope that we can do another one this year (with the Reds). It’s the carrot in front of your face.”

The Reds will have some Dodgers history in their face as well this week. But it could prove to be more inspiring than intimidating.

“It’s whoever gets hot, and the playoffs are a crapshoot,” Lux said Monday. “So I think you just never know. Anyone can beat anyone on any given night. We’ve been playing do-or-die baseball now for what feels like the last month or two. I think we can use that to our advantage.

The Dodgers will operate as if the challenges ahead are less of a game of chance.

“We’re not really worried about the target on our back,” Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts said. “That doesn’t have anything to do with the task at hand. … And we won’t let anything exterior add pressure to it.”