Yamamoto and Betts lead Dodgers to NLDS with Reds sweep

VIDEO SHOWS: HIGHLIGHTS FROM GAME TWO OF THE NATIONAL LEAGUE WILD CARD SERIES BETWEEN THE LOS ANGELES DODGERS AND THE CINCINNATI REDS COMPLETE SHOTLIST AND SCRIPT TO FOLLOW SHOWS: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (OCTOBER 1, 2025) (MLB – See restrictions) STORY: Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched into the seventh inning and Mookie Betts delivered four hits and three RBIs as the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied for an 8-4 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday (October 1), completing a sweep of the National League wild-card series. The Dodgers advanced to the NL Division Series, where they will face the Philadelphia Phillies in game one on Saturday. Betts tied a Dodgers postseason record with three doubles in a single game, including an RBI double in the sixth and another in the seventh. Teoscar Hernandez redeemed an earlier fielding error with a two-run double in the sixth, contributing to a four-run inning that extended Los Angeles' lead to 7-2. Miguel Rojas and Shohei Ohtani also added key RBI hits in the victory. Yamamoto gave up two unearned runs on four hits while striking out nine over 6 2/3 innings. The right-hander escaped a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the sixth by forcing a groundout at home and striking out two batters to preserve a 3-2 Dodgers lead. Rookie Roki Sasaki pitched a perfect ninth inning, retiring all three batters, including two strikeouts, in his postseason debut. The Reds took a 2-0 lead in the first inning, aided by a dropped fly ball by Hernandez in right field. Rookie Sal Stewart drove in three runs for Cincinnati, including a two-run single in the opening frame and an RBI single in the eighth. Reds starter Zack Littell allowed three runs on six hits over 3 1/3 innings. Los Angeles tied the game in the fourth inning on an Enrique Hernandez RBI double and a bloop single from Rojas. The Dodgers took control in the sixth, capitalizing on Betts' and Hernandez's doubles, along with Ohtani's single. Betts capped his stellar night with another RBI double in the seventh. The Dodgers advanced to the NLDS for the 13th consecutive year, while the Reds' season came to an end after their first playoff appearance since 2020. (Production: Suramya Kaushik) More MLB content is available on Reuters Connect here: https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?sources=mlbimagen

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