Reds 6, Dodgers 2: Blake Snell exits after 1 with groin injury, bats go 0-for-11 with RISP

The Reds snapped a five-game losing streak against the Dodgers today, and all it took was Blake Snell exiting with injury after the 1st and the offense going 0-for-11 with RISP in a costly 6-2 loss.

No clinch of the NL West yet. Magic Number is still one.

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The story of the game, and perhaps one of the most important things for the rest of the season, was Blake Snell and his groin.

In the 1st, he actually faced the minimum, giving up a two-out single but then picking that runner off. Things didn’t look that bad at first, even though his velo was down.

Unfortunately, he was removed from the game after that with a groin issue, one that has plagued him before.

Just have to hope it’s precautionary, basically.

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Reds starter Andrew Abbott has struggled in 2026, and he did again today but the Dodgers mostly let him off the hook.

That started in the 1st, as a one-out single and walk led to a two-out walk that loaded the bases, but they were all left in place. After going down in order in the 2nd, the Dodgers scored first in the 3rd when a one-out single by Mookie Betts was followed by a two-out double from Will Smith to make it 1-0 Dodgers.

Will Smith doubles to the bottom of the wall to score Mookie Betts as D-Train begs him to unhitch the trailer. pic.twitter.com/uJ93F3Gxvn

— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) September 16, 2026

That didn’t last very long.

The impromptu pen game from the Dodgers started in the 2nd with Blake Treinen, which started with a lead-off single and then got lucky when a one-out laser off the wall in right was played well by Kyle Tucker, who not only deked the runner at first to prevent him from scoring but also threw out the batter at second. That helped Treinen get through a scoreless frame.

Kyle Tucker deked the runner at first on what was a single off the wall after he threw the batter out at second. pic.twitter.com/z4g0sYscoE

— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) September 16, 2026

Seth Halvorsen started the 3rd by giving up a single, then got two outs to put him on the verge, but gave up a two-run homer to Elly De La Cruz (who else) to make it 2-1 Reds.

44 gives us the lead ⚡️@ellylacocoa18 pic.twitter.com/JGhphAbfDv

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) September 16, 2026

The 4th was given to Bobby Miller trying to get some length, and he avoided mess after a one-out hit batter and single by getting a lined double play to end the inning. The Reds did things the easy way in the 5th behind a two-out solo shot from Dane Myers to make it 3-1 Reds.

Dane adds on ? pic.twitter.com/3KC3f52pAv

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) September 17, 2026

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Abbott continued in the 4th and stranded a lead-off walk and two-out steal in the 4th. After back-to-back walks to start the 5th, he got a pair of outs before his day was done.

Julian Garcia then entered and got the final out of the 5th for him, and he started the 6th with an out. However, a one-out single from Kyle Tucker, an infield Enrique Hernandez single, and an Alex Freeland pinch-hit (for Alex Call) walk loaded things up. Tommy Edman then grounded out to first, which at least scored a run to make it 3-2 Reds.

Edman RBI groundout with the bases loaded, a win for them at this point. pic.twitter.com/r8IpWzq5LT

— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) September 17, 2026

Continuing the trend of RISP struggles, Tejay Antone then entered for Garcia and got a lineout to end the inning.

Meanwhile, Miller tried to get the 6th for the Dodgers, but exited after giving up a single, hitting a batter, and getting just a lineout to center to corner the runners. Alex Vesia entered and got very unlucky on a bloop single to right from Juan Brito to make it 4-2 Reds, as he then got a couple more outs to end that inning.

In the 7th, Jack Dreyer labored. A lead-off double saw a one-out steal of third, an intentional walk cornered things, and a potential double-play ball to Mookie Betts was missed for an infield single to score a run.

With two down, another walk loaded the bases, and then a TJ Friedl single made it 6-2 Reds, though a Tommy Edman throw home got Dreyer out of the inning.

A lone bright spot for the pen was Kris Bubic in the 8th, who threw 19 pitches and struck out a pair in a scoreless frame. He gave up just an infield single in the outing and looked sharp, with his velo being up 2-3 ticks from earlier this year.

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The Reds had to get three more innings to close it out, and that they did.

For the 7th, it was Brock Burke, who faced the minimum after a lead-off single was erased by a double play. Graham Ashcraft got the 8th, giving up back-to-back two-out walks but nothing else. At least Josue De Paula walked again and reinforced his reputation as a tough out.

Emilio Pagan then gave up a lead-off single but mowed the next three down with strikeouts to end the game.

0-for-11 with RISP.

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The four-game set concludes tomorrow at the comically early time (for me) of 6:40 AM HT/9:40 PM PT/12:40 PM ET with a bullpen game presumably fronted by Justin Wrobleski (and/or somebody they give a call up to), and they’ll be facing Brady Singer.