In a matchup that had Cincinnati fans on edge from the first pitch, the Los Angeles Dodgers clinched their National League Division Series berth Wednesday night with a decisive 7-2 victory over the Reds in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series. The sweep leaves Terry Francona's squad licking its wounds after a gritty September push that fell just short of deeper playoff glory. Indeed, the Dodgers' offense, relentless as ever, piled on runs early, while Yoshinobu Yamamoto delivered a masterful outing on the mound, tossing 6 2/3 innings without an earned run.
Francona, in his first year steering the Reds, watched helplessly as his team's late-season surge crumbled under the weight of Los Angeles' firepower. The Dodgers, fresh off a 10-5 romp in Game 1, showed no mercy this time around. Shohei Ohtani and Teoscar Hernández each belted home runs again, underscoring the Reds' pitching vulnerabilities that plagued them throughout the series. Cincinnati managed just two runs, both unearned, highlighting a defensive lapse that Francona later called "a tough pill to swallow."
Elly De La Cruz, the electric shortstop who's been a bright spot all season, couldn't quite spark the comeback this time. He went 1-for-4 with a single, but his speed on the bases—stealing second in the fifth—teased what might have been. However, with runners left stranded and the bullpen faltering in the eighth, the Reds' magic from their cockroach-like September run evaporated. Francona pulled no punches postgame, praising his young core but admitting the execution simply wasn't there against a Dodgers team built for October.
The loss caps a 2025 campaign where the Reds defied low expectations, winning 85 games and sneaking into the playoffs. Yet, for Francona, a Hall of Fame manager chasing another ring, this early exit stings with what-ifs. As the Dodgers pivot to face Philadelphia, one wonders if Cincinnati's blend of youth and grit will finally gel come next spring.