Los Angeles, CA (News4usOnline) – The glaring concern heading into the postseason in Los Angeles was whether the Dodgers had the arms in the bullpen to compete with the best teams in the National League.
In the Wild Card round against the Cincinnati Reds, it did not matter, as neither game was particularly close. The Dodgers were able to close the series out in quick fashion and advance to the National League Division Series for a thirteenth consecutive season with an 8-4 win in Game 2.
The night did not start as planned for the Dodgers, as Yoshinobu Yamamoto attempted to fight through unforced activity on the bases during the top of the first inning.
Gavin Lux legged out a potential double play right before Teoscar Hernandez dropped an easy fly ball near the right field foul line to set up Cincinnati with runners on second and third. Sal Stewart then delivered the first blow of the game, singling in two.
The Dodgers’ All-Star pitcher responded by striking out three of the next four batters and did not allow another Red to reach base until the sixth inning, retiring 13 straight.
Picking up where they left off in the previous win, the offense held up its end of the bargain, giving Los Angeles the lead with one run in the third inning and two runs in the fourth.
“It was a great test and we didn’t waiver, even after that first inning, the guys stayed positive and within themselves. (Yamamoto) stepped up once again and pitched us out of the inning and got us into the seventh,” said Dave Roberts.
Yamamoto is as good as it gets. He got into deep trouble in the sixth, loading the bases with no outs, and managed to protect the lead thanks to a heads-up play from Mookie Betts at shortstop, who threw out the runner at home to save a run, followed by two straight strikeouts.
“Honestly, on that play, I don’t even know what happened. I just caught it and threw it home. That is the first time I have been in that situation, playing shortstop in the playoffs, maybe in the regular season, I go to second. I just kind of reacted. I think that is why I have been able to play short and be comfortable, because I am just kind of playing,” said Betts.
Los Angeles took over from there, getting some much-needed insurance runs in the bottom of the inning. Shohei Ohtani and Betts picked up RBI singles before Teoscar Hernandez came through again in a big moment, doubling with the bases loaded to push the lead to five.
The other Hernandez, who is also never afraid of the spotlight, delivered as well.
Kike Hernandez‘s play in the field and at the plate has been phenomenal again this October; he always turns up all facets of his game in the postseason.
“October Kike is something pretty special. The track record speaks for itself. He is one of the best throughout history in the postseason,” said Roberts.
After going 2-3 in Game 1. Hernandez followed it up with a 2-4 performance in Game 2, including the game-tying RBI and the go-ahead run scored. He also robbed TJ Friedl of an extra base hit during the first at-bat of the game.
To top it off, from an offensive standpoint, Mookie Betts is fully back to being a top-five player in the league after struggling for the first half of the year. He finished the series with 6 hits in 9 at-bats.
When asked if he would ever consider tipping his cap and giving Ohtani a free pass at any point in this series, Reds’ manager Terry Francona responded, “Are you kidding? Have you heard of Mookie Betts?”
“I am just happy I can help the boys win and contribute. It is better late than never. It is just one of those things where you just have to keep going. This has arguably been one of the worst years of my career, but I think it made me mentally tough, so now there is a different level of focus, where it is not really on myself, it’s just about winning the game,” said Betts.
In Game 1, it was evident that the bullpen as constructed during the regular season might not have what it takes to finish games, and Game 2 was not much better.
The Dodgers were hoping Emmet Sheehan could make the move to the pen, but just like the relievers from the night before, he struggled to find the strike zone and record outs. He gave up two runs and left two on before Alex Vesia had to come in and put out the fire, but even the outs Vesia recorded were not without anguish.
Los Angeles relievers threw a combined 100 pitches in the eighth inning during the two games, after the two starters got through nearly 14 innings on only 204 pitches.
While it was a non-issue against Cincinnati, it will matter down the line.
As the competition heightens, series stretch out, and pressure rises, the arms that Dave Roberts has confidence in off the bench will become essential. We will have to wait and see which strings Los Angeles decides to pull.
Roberts has maintained over and over that he is not thinking about turning to Ohtani to finish games, but as we get deeper into the calendar, maybe that changes.
Roki Sasaki appears to be a potential solution. The 23-year-old rookie slammed the door shut in the ninth inning, needing only 11 pitches while striking out two to secure a trip to Philadelphia.
“I trust him, and he is going to be pitching in leverage. The more you pitch guys and play guys, the more you learn. Like Yamamoto, I don’t think the moment is going to be too big for Roki,” said Roberts.
He spent most of his time in the starting rotation or on the injured list this season, but he was one of the biggest prizes on the market last offseason for a reason. Sasaki has the stuff to be one of the most dangerous weapons out of the bullpen left in the postseason if he can stay locked in and build on this outing.
“I think we can win it all; we are equipped to do that. We certainly have the pedigree and hunger. We are playing great baseball, and in all honesty, I don’t care who we play; I just want to be the last team standing,” said Roberts.
The Dodgers will now fly out to Philadelphia to play a Phillies team that they lost 4 out of 6 games against during the regular season. There is no doubt that these two games they had to play in order to get there have helped them build some confidence, at least in terms of producing runs and starting pitching. The question still remains with the bullpen.
Featured Image: Los Angeles, CA – Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Enrique Hernandez connects for an extra base hit against the Cincinnati Reds in a National League Wild Card Series game played at Dodger Stadium on Oct. 1, 2025. The Dodgers defeated the Reds 8-4 in Game 2. Photo credit: Dennis J. Freeman / News4usOnline
Benjamin Verbrugge is a reporter for News4usonline who studied journalism at CSU Dominguez Hills. “Sports have brought me much joy throughout my life, and I want to give a little back to something that has meant so much to me.” Email Benjamin at benverbrugge8@gmail.com.
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