The Los Angeles Dodgers took down the Cincinnati Reds 4-1 on Monday, September 14, 2026, at Great American Ball Park, with Tarik Skubal delivering one of the finest pitching performances of the night. Skubal worked seven innings, struck out nine, allowed just three hits and one walk, and did not surrender a single earned run. Kyle Tucker and Teoscar Hernández each went deep to account for all four Dodgers runs, giving Los Angeles a clean, wire-to-wire road victory that was never seriously in doubt once the offense got going.

Skubal Shuts Down Cincinnati Over Seven Innings

Tarik Skubal was the story from the first pitch. The left-hander limited the Reds to three hits and one walk across seven innings while piling up nine strikeouts. He never allowed Cincinnati to string anything together, and he exited with a comfortable lead and the win firmly in hand. Alex Vesia followed with a clean eighth inning — one strikeout, no hits, no walks — to keep the bullpen work seamless.

Evan Phillips closed it out in the ninth, allowing one hit and one earned run — the Elly De La Cruz solo home run that gave Cincinnati its lone tally — while striking out one. The Dodgers bullpen otherwise did its job, and the De La Cruz blast in the ninth was nothing more than a cosmetic blemish on an otherwise dominant team effort.

Tucker and Hernández Provide the Power

Los Angeles did not need a big offensive night to win this one, but two big swings made the outcome decisive. Kyle Tucker connected for a solo home run in 2 at-bats, finishing 1-for-2 with an RBI. Teoscar Hernández was even more impactful, going 1-for-3 with a two-run home run and two RBI total. Between the two, the Dodgers generated four runs off Nick Lodolo, who gave up all four earned runs across seven innings on three hits and four walks while striking out four.

Lodolo's four walks were the difference. He kept the Dodgers from piling up hits, surrendering only three, but the free passes gave Los Angeles the extra opportunities it needed. Tucker and Hernández made those opportunities count.

Turning Point: The Hernández Two-Run Shot

When Teoscar Hernández connected for his two-run home run, it pushed the Dodgers lead to a margin that Skubal — dealing the way he was — was never going to let slip. That swing took a close game and gave Los Angeles the breathing room to cruise. From that point forward, Cincinnati was chasing a pitcher who had no interest in being caught.

Key Performances at a Glance

  • Tarik Skubal (W): 7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 K
  • Alex Vesia: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
  • Evan Phillips: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
  • Teoscar Hernández: 1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI
  • Kyle Tucker: 1-for-2, HR, 1 RBI
  • Elly De La Cruz (CIN): 1-for-4, HR, 1 RBI

What's Next for the Dodgers

Los Angeles picks up a road win in Cincinnati and will look to build on it as the 2026 regular season moves deeper into September. Every game carries weight at this stage of the schedule, and a performance like Monday's — dominant starting pitching, efficient offense, clean bullpen work — is exactly what the Dodgers need to sustain. The next game on the schedule will reveal whether this club can carry the momentum forward.