In a swift and decisive National League Wild Card series, the Los Angeles Dodgers dispatched the Cincinnati Reds with back-to-back victories, clinching their spot in the Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies. Game 1 on Tuesday night set the tone, as Dodgers ace Blake Snell delivered a masterful performance, tossing seven innings and allowing just two runs while striking out nine. The offense exploded behind him, pounding out five home runs—including two each from Teoscar Hernández and Shohei Ohtani—to secure a 10-5 win that left the Reds reeling from the start.
Indeed, the Dodgers' power surge felt almost inevitable against a Reds squad that had scraped into the playoffs on momentum alone. Snell's command on the mound was particularly sharp, a far cry from some of his regular-season inconsistencies, and it neutralized Cincinnati's young arms early. Hunter Greene, starting for the Reds, held his own for a few frames but crumbled under the pressure of LA's relentless bats.
Game 2 brought more of the same dominance, though with a twist. Cincinnati turned to Zack Littell on the hill, hoping his veteran poise—gleaned from past postseason scraps, even against these very Dodgers—might steady the ship. Littell battled through five innings, surrendering four runs on scattered hits, but it wasn't enough. The Dodgers tagged him for key blows, including a two-run homer from Hernández again, pushing the score to 8-4 by the seventh. Austin Hays contributed solidly in left field, snagging a crucial line drive and adding a timely single that extended LA's lead in the fifth. His steady presence, after a somewhat up-and-down season, underscored the Dodgers' depth.
Predictions heading into the series had favored the Dodgers heavily, with odds pegging them as -200 favorites or better for each game, citing their superior rotation and home-field edge at Dodger Stadium. Experts pointed to Snell's recent form and the Reds' bullpen vulnerabilities as decisive factors, and those calls proved spot on. Littell's effort, while gritty, highlighted Cincinnati's pitching woes; he walked three and couldn't quite locate his breaking stuff against LA's patient hitters.
Moreover, the sweep raises eyebrows about the Reds' rebuild—strong regular-season finish notwithstanding, they looked overmatched here. The Dodgers, now 2-0 in the postseason, advance with momentum, but the Phillies await with their own formidable lineup. However, injuries lingering from the regular season could test LA's resolve.
As the NLDS looms, one wonders if this early dominance signals another deep run for the Dodgers, or if playoff unpredictability will intervene once more.