LOS ANGELES (CNS) – The Dodgers completed a sweep of their National League Wild-Card Series against the Cincinnati Reds Wednesday evening with an 8-4 victory at Dodger Stadium, with Mookie Betts going 4-for-5 and driving in three runs.
After giving up two unearned runs in the first inning, Yoshinobu Yamamoto retired 13 consecutive batters, then pitched out of a no-outs, bases loaded jam in the sixth in Game 2 of the best-of-three series.
The final three batters in the Dodgers’ lineup, Kiké Hernández, Miguel Rojas and Ben Rortvedt, each had two hits. The Dodgers out-hit the Reds, 13- 6, in front of a crowd announced at 50,465.
After their two games to none victory over Cincinnati, the Dodgers will begin play in a National League Division Series against the East Division champion Philadelphia Phillies Saturday in Philadelphia.
Shohei Ohtani will be the Dodgers’ starting pitcher in the series opener, manager Dave Roberts announced, which will make him the first player to start at least one game as pitcher and at least one as a non-pitcher in a single postseason, according to Sarah Langs, a researcher with Major League Baseball.
The Dodgers took the lead for good with one out in the fourth as Rojas singled in Hernández to break a 2-2 tie. Hernández had tied the score one batter earlier when he doubled in Max Muncy, who had led off the inning with a single.
The Reds loaded the bases with no outs in the sixth on singles by TJ Friedl, Spencer Steer and former Dodger Gavin Lux.
Betts, the Dodger shortstop, fielded Austin Hays’ line drive and threw to Rortvedt, the Dodger catcher, who stepped on the plate for the force out of Friedl. Yamamoto struck out Sal Stewart on four pitches and Elly De La Cruz on six to end the inning.
The Dodgers broke the game open with four runs in their half of the sixth. Hernández led off with a single, moved to second on Rojas’ ground out to Stewart, the Cincinnati first baseman, advanced to third when Stewart made a poor throw to pitcher Nick Martinez on a grounder hit by Rortvedt and scored on Ohtani’s single.
Betts followed with a double, driving in Rortvedt. After Freddie Freeman was intentionally walked, Teoscar Hernández doubled in Ohtani and Betts to give the Dodgers a 7-2 lead.
Rojas led off the seventh with an infield single and scored three batters later when Betts doubled.
The Dodger bullpen again proved ineffective in the eighth inning, allowing two runs after allowing three in the eighth inning of Game 1 Tuesday.
Lux led off with a single against Emmet Sheehan, the third Dodger pitcher, and advanced to second on an error by Kiké Hernandez, the Dodger left fielder. Austin Hays walked on seven pitches. Stewart singled in Lux. After a wild pitch moved Hays to third and Stewart to second, Elly De La Cruz walked on a full count to load the bases.
Hays scored on Tyler Stephenson’s sacrifice fly, cutting the Dodgers’ lead to 8-4.
Alex Vesia replaced Sheehan with a 1-2 count on Will Benson. Miguel Andujar pinch-hit for Benson and swung and missed on a 92.2-mph four-seem fastball. The strikeout was credited to Vesia and charged to Benson.
Vesia walked Matt McClain on a full count to load the bases, but struck out Friedl to end the inning.
Roki Sasaki pitched a perfect ninth for the Dodgers, striking out the first two batters, Steer and Lux, and retiring Hays on a line out to Betts.
The Reds combined a hit batter, a two-base error by Teoscar Hernández, the Dodgers’ right fielder, and Stewart’s single for two runs in the first.
Rortvedt doubled leading off the third, moved to third on Ohtani’s ground out and scored on Betts’ single.
Yamamoto (1-0) allowed two runs, both unearned, and four hits in 6 2/3 innings, striking out nine and walking two.
Starter Zack Littell (0-1) was charged with the loss, allowing three runs and six hits in 3 1/3 innings, striking out two.
The Dodgers were 6-for-18 with runners in scoring position, Cincinnati 3-for-10. The Dodgers left 11 runs on base, two more than the Reds.
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