The Cincinnati Reds welcome the Los Angeles Dodgers to Great American Ball Park on Monday, September 14, for a 6:40 PM ET first pitch that figures to be one of the most compelling pitching matchups of the regular season's final stretch. Nick Lodolo takes the hill for Cincinnati against Tarik Skubal, giving Reds fans a genuine reason to get to the ballpark early. This is a high-stakes regular season contest between two franchises with very different trajectories, and how Cincinnati performs tonight matters.

Pitching Matchup: Lodolo vs. Skubal

Nick Lodolo is Cincinnati's best chance to control this game from the first pitch. The left-hander has shown the kind of swing-and-miss stuff that can neutralize a lineup as dangerous as Los Angeles carries. When Lodolo is on — attacking the zone with his fastball and burying that slider — he belongs in any conversation about the most talented young arms in the National League. Tonight he'll need to be sharp from the jump.

The challenge is enormous. Tarik Skubal lines up for the Dodgers, and he is precisely the kind of starter who can quiet a ballpark in a hurry. Skubal has established himself as one of the premier left-handed starters in the game. Cincinnati's lineup will need patience and discipline to generate anything against him.

Cincinnati Reds Starting Lineup

• 1. Dane Myers, CF
• 2. Elly De La Cruz, SS
• 3. Sal Stewart, 1B
• 4. Tyler Stephenson, C
• 5. Eugenio Suárez, DH
• 6. Juan Brito, 2B
• 7. JJ Bleday, LF
• 8. Ke'Bryan Hayes, 3B
• 9. Héctor Rodríguez, RF

Keys to Watch for the Reds

Elly De La Cruz Sets the Tone

Hitting second and capable of changing a game the moment he makes contact or gets on base, De La Cruz is the engine of this offense. If he puts pressure on Skubal early — whether through a base hit, a walk, or simply forcing deep counts — Cincinnati's lineup becomes a different animal. A quiet night from De La Cruz typically means a quiet night for the Reds.

Stephenson and Suárez Must Deliver Damage

Tyler Stephenson batting cleanup and Eugenio Suárez right behind him at DH gives the Reds a legitimate middle-of-the-order pairing. Against a pitcher of Skubal's caliber, those two hitters have to be productive when runners reach base. The Reds cannot afford to strand the top of their lineup repeatedly.

Lodolo's Command in Early Innings

Against the Dodgers, there is no easing into a game. Lodolo has to establish his fastball and avoid walks in the first three innings. Los Angeles is disciplined enough to make a pitcher pay for every free pass, and Lodolo's margin for error is thin in a matchup like this.

Prediction

This is a tough night to pick against the Dodgers given the pitching they are sending to the mound, but Lodolo at Great American Ball Park with a raucous September crowd is a real factor. Expect a low-scoring, tightly contested game decided by one or two swings. The Reds have the lineup depth to scratch across enough runs if Lodolo gives them six solid innings. Call it a 3-2 Cincinnati win in a game that goes down to the final out. Catch it on Reds.TV or WLW 700.