The Reds are 8-7 since the All-Star break and come off a series loss to the Braves that included that rain-delayed fiasco at the Bristol Motor Speedway. They enter this series on the fringes of the wild-card race, four games behind the third wild-card spot.

The loss dropped the Reds to 56-52, and they'll need to win the July 30 series finale against the Dodgers to avoid their first sweep of the season. Cincinnati is scheduled to send starter Nick Martinez (9-9, 4.69 ERA) to the mound against probable Dodgers starter, Shohei Ohtani (0-0, 1.50 ERA).

The Reds have been searching for long-term consistency since the Big Red Machine days and the early 2010s. This team has the talent to set the franchise up for sustained success, but that's also going to require beating the best teams, like the Dodgers.