The Cincinnati Reds head to UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday, September 9 for a 10:10 PM ET showdown against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Rhett Lowder gets the ball for Cincinnati against Yoshinobu Yamamoto in a late-season regular season matchup that pits two young starters against one of baseball's most decorated rotations. The Dodgers are loaded top to bottom — Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Kyle Tucker, and Max Muncy in the same lineup is a genuine challenge for any pitching staff. How Lowder navigates that order will go a long way toward determining whether the Reds leave Los Angeles with anything to show for it.

Pitching Matchup: Lowder vs. Yamamoto

Rhett Lowder has been one of the more intriguing stories in the Reds organization, and Wednesday night he draws about as difficult an assignment as exists in the National League. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, meanwhile, is exactly the kind of arm the Dodgers roll out when they want to shut a series down. This is a steep hill for Cincinnati, but Lowder has shown the competitiveness to take the mound without flinching. His ability to generate weak contact and work the strike zone efficiently will be critical against a Dodgers lineup that punishes pitchers who nibble or fall behind in counts.

Dodgers Lineup: A Gauntlet from Top to Bottom

The Los Angeles lineup Cincinnati will face Wednesday is legitimately stacked. Manager Dave Roberts has constructed an order that offers no soft spots:

• Tommy Edman leads off from center field, setting the table with his speed and on-base ability.
• Will Smith hits second as the designated hitter, a middle-of-the-order bat in the two-hole.
• Mookie Betts slots in at shortstop in the three spot — a perennial threat at the plate and on the bases.
• Max Muncy bats cleanup from third base, one of the more dangerous left-handed power hitters in the game.
• Teoscar Hernández and Kyle Tucker follow in left and right field respectively, giving the Dodgers back-to-back run producers in the five and six spots.
• Hunter Feduccia handles the catching duties and bats seventh.
• Freddie Freeman, working at second base, hits eighth — a World Series hero who still produces at an elite level.
• Enrique Hernández rounds out the order at first base.

There is no breather in that lineup. Lowder will need his best secondary stuff to keep Los Angeles off the bases, because once runners get on, this order can do serious damage in bunches.

Keys to Watch for the Reds

• Lowder's command early: Falling behind hitters in the Dodgers order is a fast path to a short outing. First-pitch strikes will be essential.
• Offensive output against Yamamoto: Cincinnati will need to manufacture runs creatively. Yamamoto is not a pitcher you wait out — the Reds have to be aggressive early in counts.
• Bullpen management: If Lowder works into the fifth or sixth, the Reds' bullpen decisions late will shape the outcome as much as anything.

Prediction

This is a tough draw. The Reds are walking into one of the hardest venues in the league, facing an elite starter backed by a lineup that has the depth to beat you in multiple ways. Lowder is capable of keeping Cincinnati competitive, but Yamamoto is the kind of pitcher who can carry a game by himself. Dodgers win a close one, 4-2. If the Reds are going to steal this, they'll need an early crooked number and a vintage performance from Lowder. It's possible — it's just not the percentage play. Catch the game on Reds.TV or WLW 700 starting at 10:10 PM ET.