The Cincinnati Reds beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6–2 on Wednesday, 16 September, at Great American Ball Park and at least temporarily prevented Los Angeles from clinching the National League West, Associated Press (via CBS Sports and ABC News), ESPN, and Reuters (Field Level Media) reported. The Dodgers (92–60) needed a win or a San Diego Padres loss to lock a fifth straight NL West title — and a 13th in 14 seasons — with a magic number of one entering the night. The Padres beat the Colorado Rockies 9–3 later Wednesday in Denver, so the clinch waits for Thursday’s series finale in Cincinnati, those accounts said.
Elly De La Cruz hit a two-run homer — his 28th of the season — off Seth Halvorsen (1-2) in the third to put the Reds ahead 2–1. It was De La Cruz’s fifth homer against the Dodgers this season, most by any opposing player, ESPN and AP said. Dane Myers’ solo shot off Bobby Miller — his seventh — extended the lead to 3–1 in the fifth. Juan Brito’s RBI single made it 4–2 in the sixth; TJ Friedl singled with the bases loaded in the seventh to drive in two for 6–2, with Sal Stewart thrown out at the plate by Dodgers center fielder Tommy Edman to end that inning on the ESPN frame. Reuters said Stewart went 3-for-4 and added that Friedl and Stewart each singled in an insurance run in the seventh.
Blake Snell started for Los Angeles but departed after one inning with left groin tightness. Snell faced three batters, allowed a hit with a strikeout on 19 pitches, ESPN and AP reported — his seventh start since arthroscopic surgery on his left elbow in May on the Reuters line. Reuters noted it was the first hit Snell had allowed in Cincinnati since his no-hitter there for the San Francisco Giants on 2 August 2024. Blake Treinen took over in the second as the first of six Dodgers relievers.
Mookie Betts singled off Andrew Abbott in the third and scored on Will Smith’s double for a 1–0 Dodgers lead. Abbott allowed a run on three hits with five walks in 4⅔ innings. Tejay Antone (3-2), the third of six Cincinnati pitchers, got the last out of the sixth for the win — one-third of an inning on three pitches on Reuters. Los Angeles loaded the bases with one out in the sixth; Edman’s groundout forced a run to make it 3–2, but Betts lined out to a leaping De La Cruz at short to end the rally. The Dodgers stranded 12 runners and went 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position, ESPN and AP said.
Coming in, Los Angeles had won all five meetings with Cincinnati (71–81) this season and outscored them 31–7, with eight straight regular-season wins over the Reds and 10 straight overall including last year’s NL wild-card sweep, Reuters reported. Attendance was 20,151 and game time 3:04 on the ESPN game page.
Named actors locked to the wires: De La Cruz (two-run HR, 28th); Myers (solo HR); Snell (1 IP, left groin tightness); Antone (3-2 W); Halvorsen (1-2 L); Betts, Smith, Abbott, Brito, Friedl, Stewart, Edman, Miller, Treinen. The desk does not invent Thursday’s clinch scenarios beyond the published need for a Dodgers win or Padres loss that already failed Wednesday night. The checkable record is 6–2 at Great American Ball Park, LAD 92–60, SD’s 9–3 over Colorado, Snell’s early exit, and De La Cruz’s and Myers’ homers.
What comes next is checkable: Thursday’s Reds–Dodgers series finale at Great American Ball Park with Brady Singer (6-14, 5.38 ERA) listed for Cincinnati on the AP/ABC “up next” line and Los Angeles’s starter unannounced on that card; Padres–Rockies boxes from Wednesday; published NL West standings with the Dodgers at 92–60.
Floor: Reds 6–2 Dodgers at Great American; De La Cruz 2-run HR (28); Myers solo; Snell out after 1 IP left groin tightness; LAD 92–60 needed win or SD loss to clinch 5th straight NL West; Padres beat COL 9–3 later — clinch waits Thursday finale.