Dodgers Clinch 14th Straight Playoff Berth as Tarik Skubal Shuts Down Reds

The Los Angeles Dodgers are headed back to October, clinching a 14th consecutive postseason berth with a 4-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Monday night at Great American Ball Park. Tarik Skubal delivered seven scoreless innings, while Kyle Tucker and Teoscar Hernández homered to secure a record-tying playoff run for Los Angeles.

The victory moved the Dodgers to 91-59 and tied the Atlanta Braves’ 1991-2005 stretch for the most consecutive postseason appearances in MLB history. Los Angeles became the third club to secure a 2026 playoff spot, joining the Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays.

Skubal delivers his strongest Dodgers start yet

Skubal controlled Cincinnati over seven innings, allowing only three hits and one walk while striking out nine. The left-hander threw 90 pitches and kept the Reds scoreless before handing the game to the Dodgers bullpen.

It was another significant step in Skubal’s transition to Los Angeles after the Dodgers acquired him from the Detroit Tigers on August 2. Through eight starts with his new club, Skubal is 3-2 with a 2.52 ERA. His latest outing also gave him a second victory over Cincinnati in seven days after he worked 7 1/3 innings in a 3-2 Dodgers win on September 8.

For a team preparing its rotation for another World Series run, Skubal’s September form is becoming one of the clearest parts of the postseason picture.

Dodgers turn three hits into four runs

Los Angeles did not need much offense behind Skubal. Tucker opened the scoring with a solo home run in the second inning, his third homer in five games.

Two innings later, Tucker drew a two-out walk before Hernández drove a Nick Lodolo pitch over the right-center-field wall for a two-run homer and a 3-0 lead. Kiké Hernández added an RBI single in the seventh.

Cincinnati’s only run came in the ninth, when Elly De La Cruz launched a 457-foot solo homer to center field off Evan Phillips. It was De La Cruz’s 27th home run of the season, but it came too late to change the outcome.

Fourteen straight Octobers — but bigger goals remain

Reaching the postseason has become an annual expectation in Los Angeles, but the scale of the streak remains historic. The Dodgers have now qualified in every season since 2013, matching Atlanta’s 14-year postseason run from 1991 through 2005.

The clinch is only the first checkpoint. Los Angeles entered Tuesday two games behind Milwaukee for the National League’s best record, while holding the second seed. The Dodgers also reduced their magic number to three for a fifth consecutive NL West title and what would be their 13th division crown in 14 seasons.

That seeding race carries additional weight because Los Angeles is not at full strength. Shohei Ohtani is currently on the 15-day injured list with right biceps inflammation, while Freddie Freeman has dealt with right knee soreness. A top-two National League seed would provide a first-round bye and valuable recovery time before the Division Series.

For now, the Dodgers have secured the minimum expected of a team chasing a third consecutive World Series championship. Their 14th straight ticket to October is booked. The remaining question is whether this year’s group can turn another postseason appearance into another title.