The Los Angeles Dodgers are headed back to the National League Division Series.
Led by a strong performance from Mookie Betts, the Dodgers swept the Cincinnati Reds in their NL Wild Card Series matchup with an impressive 8-4 win in Game 2 on Wednesday night.
Betts finished 4-for-5 with three RBI in the victory.
Los Angeles will now face the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS, as fans looked forward to the upcoming matchup.
Cincinnati struck first in Wednesday’s contest, scoring two runs in the top of the opening frame with a sacrifice fly from Tyler Stephenson and Sal Stewart’s RBI single.
The Dodgers scored once in the third inning before taking their first lead of the game in the fourth, as a run-scoring double from Kiké Hernandez and RBI single from Miguel Rojas gave Los Angeles a 3-2 edge.
Cincinnati couldn’t respond right away, as the Dodgers gained some more separation with a four-run sixth inning that was highlighted by RBI doubles from Betts and Teoscar Hernández. Shohei Ohtani also chipped in with his own RBI.
Another RBI double by Betts in the seventh gave Los Angeles a lead of 8-2. The Reds scored two runs in the top of the eighth inning, but ultimately couldn’t pull any closer.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto started for the Dodgers, allowing four hits without giving up an earned run. He also racked up nine strikeouts compared to just two walks in 6.2 innings of work.
Yamamoto ran into some trouble in the sixth inning as the Reds loaded the bases with no outs, but a fielder’s choice and two strikeouts kept Cincinnati off the board.
Los Angeles’ lineup exploded offensively, with seven players accounting for the team’s 13 total hits.
The Dodgers ended up outscoring the Reds 18-9 in the series.
Now, Game 1 between Los Angeles and Philadelphia is set for Saturday.
