First-place Dodgers face Reds on MLB.TV

Perhaps we should’ve known all along that the National League West race between the Dodgers and Giants would come down to the very end.

It sure didn’t look that way eight weeks ago. On the morning of June 27, the Dodgers learned that their ace Clayton Kershaw, in the midst of an historic season, had seriously aggravated a lower back injury in the team’s 4-3 loss to Pittsburgh the night before. With Kershaw on his way to the disabled list, Los Angeles looked up and saw itself a season-high eight games back of the Giants.

But with the Giants losing, 2-0, to the Mets on Sunday Night Baseball, the boys in blue find themselves back on top by just a half-game with six weeks left in the regular season — with the potential of a return by Kershaw sometime in September. The Dodgers’ remarkable turnaround will mean nothing if they can’t seal the deal, however, and the team will have one more chance to get in top form today in Cincinnati before a pivotal series at home against San Francisco begins Tuesday.

Los Angeles’ tune-up isn’t the only game worth keeping an eye on Monday. The Nationals and Orioles begin the 2016 Beltway Series on MLB Plus with a stellar pitching matchup between Stephen Strasburg and Dylan Bundy, In Pittsburgh and Seattle, teams on the outside of the playoff picture will try to take one step closer to breaking in, with all the action available on MLB.TV.

MLB.TV Premium has the same features as last year, and is only $49.99 for the rest of the season. This package has the best value and provides access to more than 400 devices and a free subscription to the MLB.com At Bat Premium app (a $19.99 value). It offers the best picture quality ever — a new 60 frames per second — for supported devices. Monthly signups for MLB.TV Premium are $24.99.

The new MLB.TV Single Team package is also available as a $39.99 yearly subscription. You can watch a single team’s live out-of-market games in full HD.

Here’s what to watch for today in the Majors (all times ET):

First-place Dodgers, Reds meet for finale in Queen City: LAD@CIN, 12:35 p.m.

The Dodgers were outscored, 20-3, in the first two games of this series before bouncing back to beat Cincinnati, 4-0, on Sunday. Now, looking to salvage a series split, Los Angeles turns to starter Scott Kazmir. The veteran southpaw has fared well in two previous career starts against Cincinnati, winning each while allowing just two earned runs over 13 innings.

L.A. also hopes Chase Utley can continue his production at the top of the lineup. Utley, who led off Sunday’s game with a 399-foot home run, has hit all 11 of his homers this season from the leadoff spot. The veteran second baseman is batting .324 with three home runs and eight RBI over his last eight …

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