The Los Angeles Dodgers didn't just win—they dominated. In a swift two-game sweep of the Cincinnati Reds in the National League Wild Card Series, the Dodgers punched their ticket to the Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies. It wrapped up Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium, where the home crowd erupted as the final out sealed an 8-4 victory in Game 2.
Game 1 set the tone on Tuesday, a 10-5 Dodgers rout that felt more like a home run derby than playoff tension. Teoscar Hernández crushed two, and Shohei Ohtani matched him, powering the offense while Blake Snell delivered a sharp seven innings, allowing just two runs. The Reds, scrappy all season, couldn't keep pace; their bats flickered but faded against the Dodgers' relentless attack. Nick Lodolo started for Cincinnati, but the bullpen crumbled, leaving manager David Bell with few options late.
Indeed, Game 2 brought more of the same urgency from LA. Yoshinobu Yamamoto took the mound for the Dodgers, steady as ever after his regular-season promise, though the spotlight stayed on the hitters. Hernández again loomed large, and the Dodgers tacked on runs in bunches—eight total, enough to bury any Reds comeback hopes. Cincinnati scored four, sure, but it was too little, too late; Nick Martinez and Tony Santillan couldn't stem the tide. Dave Roberts, ever the strategist, pulled levers that worked, extending LA's playoff streak.
However, the Reds fought like underdogs, rallying from September slumps to snag this spot. Their elimination stings in a city hungry for postseason glory. Blake Treinen closed it out for the Dodgers, his experience shining in high-stakes moments. Now, with the series score a clean 2-0 Dodgers, attention shifts to Philly. Tickets are hot, standings firm—LA sits atop the West at 98-64.
Yet as the dust settles on this quick series, one wonders how the Dodgers' firepower holds up against tougher foes ahead.