Cincinnati opens a three game series at Los Angeles on Monday night, first pitch 9:10 p.m. ET. It is on Reds.TV in Cincinnati and Spectrum SportsNet LA in Los Angeles, with MLB.TV covering everywhere else. Chase Burns starts for the Reds. These two teams had not played each other once through the Dodgers’ first 143 games, and now they play seven times in 11 days.
| First pitch | 9:10 p.m. ET, 6:10 p.m. PT, Monday, September 7 |
| Ballpark | UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles |
| TV | Reds.TV in Cincinnati, Spectrum SportsNet LA in Los Angeles |
| Streaming | MLB.TV outside both home markets. Blacked out in market, where you need the local feed |
| Starters | Chase Burns (15-3, 2.79) vs. a Dodgers pitching plan built around Emmet Sheehan |
| Series | Three games in Los Angeles, then four more in Cincinnati next week |
What time is Reds vs. Dodgers and what channel is it on?
9:10 p.m. ET, which is 6:10 p.m. in Los Angeles. That is an hour earlier than a normal Dodgers home night game, moved up because it is Labor Day.
There is no national broadcast. Cincinnati viewers get it on Reds.TV, Los Angeles viewers on Spectrum SportsNet LA, and everyone outside those two territories can watch on MLB.TV. In market it is blacked out on MLB.TV, so you need the regional feed or your provider login.
The Pitching Matchup
Chase Burns is the reason to watch. The second year right hander is 15-3 with a 2.79 ERA, a 1.16 WHIP and 171 strikeouts, and Cincinnati is sending its ace out first rather than saving him. His innings are being managed for the rest of the season, so the leash may be shorter than the matchup suggests.
Los Angeles had not named a starter as of Sunday night. Emmet Sheehan was called up to cover bulk innings, but whether he opens the game or follows an opener was still undecided. That uncertainty is its own story for a team this good this late.
The rest of the series is clearer. Wednesday’s finale, at 10:10 p.m. ET, has Rhett Lowder (6-9, 5.43) against Yoshinobu Yamamoto (12-8, 2.67).
Where Both Teams Stand
| Reds | Dodgers | |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 69 and 74 | 86 and 57 |
| Division | Fifth in the NL Central | First in the NL West by 10.5 |
| Playoff position | 6.5 back of the last wild card with 19 to play | Second seed in the NL, one game up on Atlanta |
| Recent form | Going for a fourth straight series win, but a 6.88 staff ERA over the last 10 games | Batting .232 with six home runs across the last 10 games |
The number that actually matters for Los Angeles is the one game gap with Atlanta. Milwaukee at 88 and 56 has the best record in baseball and the top seed, and the Dodgers and Braves are fighting for the other first round bye. The NL West itself is long since decided.
Cincinnati is not mathematically finished but is close to it, sitting 6.5 games behind Arizona for the last wild card with 19 left. The Reds have been playing well in stretches, having won their last three series, but the pitching has come apart over the past week and a half.
What Else to Know
The Dodgers are the two time defending champions and are chasing a third straight title. This is also their first season since 2007 without Clayton Kershaw on the active roster after his retirement, and the last for Miguel Rojas, who moves into the front office after the season.
Shohei Ohtani has been out of the lineup and his return has been described as close, though he is not expected to pitch again this season.
The ballpark name is new too. Dodger Stadium’s playing surface is now UNIQLO Field under a five year deal worth more than $125 million signed last offseason, so box scores and broadcasts list the venue as UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium.
The Bottom Line
Reds at Dodgers starts at 9:10 p.m. ET on Monday, September 7, on Reds.TV and Spectrum SportsNet LA, with MLB.TV for everyone out of market. Chase Burns pitches for Cincinnati against a Los Angeles staff that had not settled on a starter. It is the first of seven meetings in 11 days between two teams that had not faced each other all year.