The Los Angeles Dodgers came from behind to sweep the Cincinnati Reds in the Wild Card round and advance to the National League Division Series to face the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Dodgers once again had their starting pitching and offense synced up, and they scored four runs in the sixth inning to break the game open, leading them to an 8-4 victory.
But things didn’t start out great for the Dodgers. Yoshinobu Yamamoto hit the second batter he faced, and Teoscar Hernández dropped a routine fly ball to put two runners on for the Reds. A single from Sal Stewart put Cincinnati up 2-0 before the inning came to an end.
Ben Rortvedt doubled to leadoff the third, and he came around to score on a single from Mookie Betts to pull the Dodgers within one.
The Dodgers tied it up in the fourth inning on a double from Kiké Hernández after Max Muncy reached on a leadoff single. Miguel Rojas then singled to bring home Hernández, giving the Dodgers their first lead of the game.
The score was broken open in the sixth inning, starting with a leadoff single from Hernández. Rortvedt reached on an error, and then Shohei Ohtani singled home the Dodgers’ fourth run of the game.
Betts doubled home Rortvedt, and Teoscar Hernández doubled to bring home two more runs, putting the Dodgers up 7-2. Betts drove in another run in the seventh inning with a double after Rojas reached on a single.
After that first inning, Yamamoto gave the Dodgers 5.2 more innings without allowing a run. He also pulled off a Houdini act after allowing three straight singled to begin the sixth, but then recorded a force out at home and back-to-back strikeouts to keep the game at 7-2.
Although Yamamoto was unable to get through the seventh inning, Blake Treinen entered and finished it off with a ground out.
Yamamoto finished his night going 6.2 innings with two runs allowed, none earned, on four hits with two walks and nine strikeouts.
Emmet Sheehan entered in the eighth, and once again, the bullpen continued to struggle. Gavin Lux hit a leadoff single and Austin Hays walked before Sal Stewart singled home a run.
Sheehan threw a wild pitch and then walked Elly De La Cruz before a sacrifice fly from Tyler Stephenson made it an 8-4 game. As Sheehan continued to struggle, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts pulled him in a 1-2 count for Alex Vesia.
The Reds countered by pinch-hitting, but Vesia got Miguel Andujar to chase a ball to strike out. Vesia walked Matt McClain to load the bases, but then struck out TJ Friedl to end the inning.
Roki Sasaki was given the ninth inning with the four-run lead, and he struck out the first two batters he faced before recording the final out.
Dodgers advance to NLDS
The Dodgers now move onto the NLDS, where they’ll face the Phillies beginning on Saturday, Oct. 4 at Citizens Bank Park. The expectation is the Dodgers will give the ball to Shohei Ohtani for the start, while the Phillies have Christopher Sánchez scheduled to pitch.
This is the 13th consecutive season the Dodgers have played in the Division Series, and they have previously advanced in six of their 12.
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