Yoshinobu Yamamoto was simply untouchable. The Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander fired 7 scoreless innings, striking out 7 and allowing just one hit, as the Dodgers handed the Cincinnati Reds a 4-0 shutout loss at Great American Ball Park on Tuesday, September 15, 2026. Teoscar Hernández and Alex Freeland each went deep to supply all the offense the Dodgers needed. The Reds managed next to nothing against one of the better pitching performances they've seen all season, dropping a tough one in front of the home crowd.

Yamamoto Dominates: 7 Innings, 1 Hit, 7 Strikeouts

There's no sugarcoating it — Yamamoto was the story from the first pitch to the last. Working through 7 innings, he surrendered just one hit and two walks while racking up 7 strikeouts. The Reds lineup had no answer. Elly De La Cruz was the lone bright spot at the plate, going 2-for-3, but his hits came in a vacuum — no runners moved, no runs scored. That is a testament to how thoroughly Yamamoto controlled the game.

After Yamamoto exited, Brock Stewart handled the eighth with one strikeout, and Tanner Scott closed it out in the ninth with a dominant 3-strikeout inning, walking one and allowing one hit but never letting Cincinnati get anything going. The Reds were held to one hit through seven innings and finished the game with very little to show offensively.

Dodgers Power: Hernández and Freeland Provide the Punch

Los Angeles did not need much offense behind Yamamoto, but they got it anyway. Teoscar Hernández went 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBI, providing the cushion the Dodgers needed early. Alex Freeland added a solo shot of his own, going 2-for-4 with a homer and an RBI. Freddie Freeman was his typically steady self at the top of the order, collecting 3 hits in 5 at-bats, though he did not drive in a run.

The Dodgers scored 4 runs total, and the damage came in concentrated bursts that Reds starter Rhett Lowder could not absorb.

Lowder Takes the Loss: 5 Innings, 3 Earned Runs

Rhett Lowder went 5 innings, giving up 5 hits, 3 earned runs, 2 walks, and striking out 4. He kept the Reds in the ballgame long enough to give the bullpen a chance, but the offense never gave him anything to work with. Julian Garcia, Pierce Johnson, Graham Ashcraft, and Tejay Antone each threw an inning in relief. Johnson was the only reliever to allow a run, surrendering 1 earned run on 2 hits over his inning. Ashcraft and Antone each worked scoreless frames.

Turning Point: Hernández Home Run Breaks it Open

The Reds were within striking distance until Teoscar Hernández's two-run homer put the Dodgers ahead by a margin that felt insurmountable given what Yamamoto was doing on the mound. With Cincinnati's offense unable to generate any traffic against one of the best pitchers in baseball, the Hernández blast effectively ended any realistic hope of a comeback. Freeland's solo shot later in the game only added to the final margin.

By the Numbers: Cincinnati Reds vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

  • Final Score: Dodgers 4, Reds 0
  • Winning Pitcher: Yoshinobu Yamamoto — 7.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
  • Losing Pitcher: Rhett Lowder — 5.0 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
  • Dodgers HR: Teoscar Hernández (1 HR, 2 RBI), Alex Freeland (1 HR, 1 RBI)
  • Reds offensive leader: Elly De La Cruz, 2-for-3
  • Dodgers hits leader: Freddie Freeman, 3-for-5

What's Next for the Reds

The Reds turn the page and get ready for the next game in this series. Nights like Tuesday — where your lineup goes hitless against a starter for six-plus innings and your bats go quiet — sting. The silver lining, if there is one, is that De La Cruz showed up ready to compete even when everyone around him couldn't generate a run. Cincinnati needs its lineup to wake up and get back to putting pressure on opposing pitchers. The next game is an opportunity to answer back.