Fittingly, Cincinnati Reds Draw Los Angeles Dodgers in the Wild Card Round

I remember exactly where I was when Elly De La Cruz was called up to the Reds. It was just before 1:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday, June 6 , 2023. We were in a commercial on the noon newscast at ABC 6 in Columbus. My cousin called me, so I knew something was up. Then I checked Twitter, and I saw that De La Cruz was being called up. Ironically, our meteorologist on the noon news had tickets to the Louisville Bats game against the Columbus Clippers that night.

Being at running club that night and then dashing home to watch Elly's first at-bat, I remember thinking the last time I was doing this for a Reds game. This was great. Finally, something to get excited about for the Reds during the summer. I had to be up at 4:00 a.m. the next morning to produce the noon news, so I didn't stay up for the whole game of Elly's debut.

The next night, though, I remember vividly. I remember flinching when De La Cruz walloped a Noah Syndergaard pitch for his first Major League home run. That let me know this guy was for real.

Then, I decided to go to Jersey Mike’s to get a sub for dinner. After going to four different locations, I finally found out that took in-store orders and had white bread.

But while driving to those four different Jersey Mike’s stores, I got to listen to Jeff Brantley, “The Cowboy,” talk about how there was an attitude shift in the Reds dugout as De La Cruz played a significant role in them coming back from a 6-2 deficit. Will Benson’s walk-off home run felt different. It was like an announcement that this team was here to compete and have fun.

The Reds weren’t just doing this against any team. They were doing this against the Los Angeles Dodgers, one of, if not the, most iconic franchises in the National League.

Now, as we sit here on Tuesday morning, September 30, 2025, with Elly De La Cruz about to play his first Postseason game, it’s only fitting that it’s against the Dodgers. If the Reds are going to take the next step and really announce themselves as contenders, they might as well do it against the Dodgers. They might as well do it against the reigning World Series champions.

.In addition, the Dodgers have won 12 division titles in the last 13 seasons. It was the Dodgers who Tom Browning pitched a perfect game against in 1988. When the Reds last won a Postseason series in 1995, they played the Dodgers in the National League Division Series.

The Dodgers are the gold standard in the National League and, arguably over the last 12 years, Major League Baseball. They have an elite collection of talent and winning pedigree.

This is the most talented team the Reds have had since, probably, 2012. The Dodgers were the only National League team to sweep the Reds in the regular season this season.

This team is easily capable of beating the Dodgers. Take Game 1, and the Dodgers are already on the brink. In a three-game series, anything can happen.

That’s what this Reds team has been all season. You don’t know what you’re going to get, but that can be a good thing. It’s only fitting that the Reds are playing the Dodgers to open the Playoffs.

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