The Los Angeles Dodgers head to Cincinnati to face the Reds in their series opener on Monday at the Great American Ball Park.

The Reds’ rotation has been its biggest strength this season, but instead of just adding to the bullpen, the team was looking at fortifying its bullpen from within, moving a starter — or two, depending on the status of Hunter Greene — to the bullpen, while adding to the back of the rotation.

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Jul 19, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks third base Eugenio Suarez (28) reacts after hitting a solo home run against the St. Louis Cardinals in the third inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images / Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

The Reds are a season-best six games over .500, just one game behind the Padres for the third spot in the NL wild-card race.

Shohei Ohtani extended his hitting streak to nine games with a two-run double in the fifth inning and the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Cincinnati Reds 5-2.

All that's between the Reds and the 6 p.m. ET Trade Deadline on Thursday are three key games against the superstar-laden Dodgers. But as they've often stressed as a club seeking a playoff berth, there was no looking ahead.

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.