None of that changes the bigger picture. Los Angeles is playing for playoff seeding in September; Cincinnati is not. These two open this two-game set Monday, September 7, before this one closes it out Tuesday with a 7:10 PM PT first pitch at Dodger Stadium — whatever happens in the opener, both clubs still have very different stakes riding on the stretch run.
The Reds took another hit to their rotation this month when Hunter Greene's elbow gave out again — a second Tommy John surgery expected to keep him out 12 to 18 months. Elly De La Cruz remains the one everyday reason to watch this Cincinnati lineup, a game-changing blend of speed and power the Dodgers can't fully ignore even in a game with little on the line for the Reds.
Los Angeles, meanwhile, is trying to hold its spot atop the West while absorbing pitching losses of its own — Roki Sasaki and Eric Lauer both landed on the injured list within the past couple weeks, joining a rehab group that already included Kris Bubic, Gavin Stone and Bobby Miller. Roberts has managed through worse than this, but the margin for soaking up another injury keeps getting thinner.
Whoever starts for the Dodgers, this is still the deeper roster on paper, at home, with more to play for. The Reds have shown flashes this month — ugly losses mixed with a strong series against San Diego — but nights like this tend to expose the gap between a team fighting for October and one just filling out the schedule.