🔥 DODGERS HEROICS: Mookie Betts delivers a stunning 4-hit night to power Los Angeles past the Reds and into the NLDS — fans erupt, rivals take notice, and the burning question is… can Betts carry this momentum through October?..ll

Deadspin | Mookie Betts' 4-hit night sends Dodgers past Reds, into NLDSOct 1, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder Enrique Hernandez (8) celebrates with teammates after scoring a run against the Cincinnati Reds in the fourth inning during game two of the Wildcard round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

LOS ANGELES — Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched into the seventh inning, Mookie Betts produced four hits and three RBIs and the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied for an 8-4 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday to advance to the National League Division Series.

After sweeping the best-of-three NL wild-card series, Los Angeles will visit the Philadelphia Phillies for Game 1 of the NLDS on Saturday. The Dodgers will compete in the division series for the 13th consecutive year.

Betts hit three doubles to tie a Dodgers playoff record for a single game, and teammate Teoscar Hernandez knocked in two runs.

Yamamoto (1-0) gave up two runs, both unearned, on four hits with nine strikeouts and two walks in 6 2/3 innings. He wriggled out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the sixth inning to keep Los Angeles ahead 3-2.

Rookie Sal Stewart drove in three runs for the Reds, and Gavin Lux had two hits against his former team. Zack Littell (0-1) allowed three runs on six hits over 3 1/3 innings. He fanned two without issuing a walk.

The Reds had some help from the Dodgers to take a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Spencer Steer was hit by a pitch and Austin Hays reached base when Teoscar Hernandez dropped his fly ball near the right field line. Stewart followed with a two-run single.

 

The Dodgers got a run back in the third inning when Ben Rortvedt doubled and scored on a one-out single from Betts.

Max Muncy singled to lead off the fourth inning for Los Angeles and scored on a one-out double from Enrique Hernandez to tie the game. Miguel Rojas followed with an RBI bloop single to right for a 3-2 lead.

Cincinnati opened the sixth with three consecutive singles to load the bases. Yamamoto escaped trouble by getting Hays to ground into a forceout at home before he struck out Stewart and Elly De La Cruz.

The Dodgers immediately rewarded the escape act with a four-run sixth for a 7-2 lead. Los Angeles got an RBI single from Shohei Ohtani, an RBI double from Betts and a redemption two-run double from Teoscar Hernandez.

Betts added an RBI double in the seventh.

Stewart had an RBI single in a two-run eighth for Cincinnati.

Looking for answers in the bullpen, the Dodgers had rookie starter Roki Sasaki pitch the ninth inning. Sasaki retired all three batters he faced, two on strikeouts. He had made his only two relief appearances over the final week of the season following his return from a shoulder injury.

 

–Doug Padilla, Field Level Media

Related Posts

BRONX BLOCKBUSTER BUZZ: A former MLB GM drops a thunderbolt prediction that the Yankees could ship Spencer Jones to Miami in a jaw-dropping push for a Cy Young ace, instantly turning the rumor mill into a five-alarm blaze. The idea sounds insane, perfect, and terrifying all at once—an all-in gamble that could redraw the AL landscape overnight. Now the entire baseball world is hanging on one question: will New York actually pull off the kind of trade that rewrites legacies..ll

New York could add a big starting pitching upgrade at the cost of Spencer Jones.

BRONX FUTURE SHIFT: The picture sharpens as a possible landing spot for Spencer Jones comes into focus right after fresh Yankees ace trade rumors shake up their long-term blueprint. The sudden clarity adds a dramatic twist to New York’s roster plans as the spotlight swings toward the rising star’s next chapter. So is this the direction they’re really heading?..ll

The Yankees have reportedly called the Marlins recently about Sandy Alcantara, which would represent a perfect Spencer Jones trade fit.

RIVALRY FIRESTORM: The tension erupts as Mets pitcher Devin Williams throws a bold social-media jab straight at Yankees fans, instantly igniting the New York baseball feud to a whole new level. The unexpected swipe sends shockwaves through both sides as the rivalry heats up ahead of the season. So what set off this explosive shot?..ll

Mets’ reliever Devin Williams recently took a slight jab at Yankees fans via a social media post that you must read.

BRONX SHOCKWAVE: A stunning twist hits the offseason as whispers grow louder that a Yankees trade for Fernando Tatis Jr. is “not impossible”, cracking open a door no one expected New York to even touch. The mere idea of a superstar shakeup sends the entire baseball world into overdrive as the Yankees size up what a move like this could mean for their future. So is this the blockbuster they’re actually lining up?..ll

The Athletic reports a Fernando Tatis Jr. trade to the Yankees isn’t impossible, opening the door for a potential blockbuster.

BRONX STORM ALERT: Tension spikes as the Yankees roll into the Winter Meetings with swirling rumors hinting at moves that could flip the entire AL picture overnight. Front-office chatter grows louder as New York circles potential shock additions that might redefine their offseason blueprint. So what bombshell are they cooking up?..ll

Three needs this week; closing the outfield gap; breaking down the Contemporary Era

METSWAVE BREAKOUT: The Mets lock in reliever Williams on a massive $51M, three-year deal, whispers erupt about how this move reshapes their late-game firepower, and now the entire league is watching to see what New York unleashes next..ll Read more 👇👇👇

Devin Williams and the Mets finalized a $51 million, three-year contract on Wednesday that locks in a critical late-inning reliever as New York rebuilds its bullpen this offseason.