Dodgers clinch 14th consecutive postseason berth in Cincinnati

CINCINNATI — The Dodgers are going back to October. Again.

For the 14th consecutive season, the Dodgers clinched a postseason berth, with a 4-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Monday night at Great American Ball Park.

The Dodgers improved to 91-59 with 12 games remaining in the regular season, securing their place in the postseason and tying the MLB record for the most consecutive playoff appearances.

And they did it in fitting fashion: with their pitching looking every bit like it could carry them deep into October.

Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) winds up in the second inning of the MLB National League game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Monday, Sept. 14, 2026.

Tarik Skubal delivered his best start since joining the Dodgers, throwing seven scoreless innings while allowing only three hits and one walk. He struck out nine, generated 14 whiffs and needed just 90 pitches, 61 for strikes, to put together a performance that looked every bit like the Cy Young-caliber version of himself the Dodgers acquired him to be.

Skubal was untouchable at his best.

He retired the Reds in order in the sixth on just six pitches. By then, he had eight strikeouts and had allowed only three hits and a walk across six scoreless innings.

He finished the night with nine strikeouts, putting together the kind of start the Dodgers hope becomes a familiar sight once October arrives.

And the offense gave him more than enough.

Kyle Tucker started the scoring in the second inning, crushing a solo home run for his 15th of the season. It was Tucker's third homer in five games, another sign that his bat is beginning to heat up at an ideal time.

The Dodgers extended their lead in the fourth.

Tucker drew a walk, and Teoscar Hernández followed by launching a two-run homer to make it 3-0. Kiké Hernández added another run in the seventh, lining an RBI single to push the Dodgers' advantage to four.

For most of the night, that was more than enough.

The Dodgers entered the ninth with a 4-0 lead, but the final inning provided a reminder of one area that still needs to be cleaned up before October.

Elly De La Cruz crushed a moonshot off Evan Phillips, putting Cincinnati on the board and sending a reminder that the back end of the Dodgers' bullpen remains a work in progress.

The Dodgers have spent much of the season dealing with injuries and uncertainty in their pitching staff. But the starting rotation appears to be hitting its stride at precisely the right time.

A postseason trio of Skubal, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Blake Snell has the potential to be downright unfair.

The question is whether the Dodgers can get the rest of the pitching staff into the same kind of shape.

Earlier Monday, the Dodgers made several roster moves, preparing for the final stretch of the regular season. Edgardo Henriquez was placed on the injured list with lower-back discomfort, while Emmet Sheehan was optioned. Bobby Miller and Paul Gervase were recalled.

Dave Roberts said Henriquez will undergo a scan to determine the specifics of the injury, though the Dodgers remain hopeful he can return for the playoffs.

For now, though, the Dodgers can celebrate.

They are officially going back to October. Fourteen consecutive seasons. An MLB-record-tying streak. And with Skubal pitching like this, the Dodgers may be arriving in October with their most important piece finally clicking at exactly the right time.