The Los Angeles Dodgers dispatched the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday as the team completed a sweep of the Wild Card Series. Blake Snell delivered a career-best postseason start in the opener against Cincinnati. And Yoshinobu Yamamoto finished the Reds off in Game 2.
Snell and Yamamoto managed to stand out amid one of baseball's most impressive pitching performances. The duo overpowered the Reds en route to setting a new MLB postseason record. The Dodgers’ top two hurlers both recorded 20+ outs, allowed fewer than five hits, racked up nine strikeouts and earned the victory in back-to-back starts. The feat had never before been accomplished by teammates in the playoffs, per OptaSTATS.
Los Angeles’ pitching staff was banged up for most of the regular season. However, the starters showed flashes. The Dodgers' rotation made history down the stretch with a five-game span of dominance. Now the team is living up to its potential in the early stages of the playoffs.
Dodgers’ starters set playoff record in NLWCS sweep
Snell took the mound for Los Angeles in the NLWCS opener. He allowed two runs on four hits and one walk while striking out nine batters in seven innings. The two-time Cy Young winner recorded 21 outs while only throwing 91 pitches on Tuesday.
Yamamoto followed Snell’s memorable performance with his own gem on Wednesday. The second-year starter held the team together after the Reds took a 2-0 lead. A first-inning HBP followed by a fielding error allowed Cincinnati to gain an early advantage.
But Yamamoto locked in after the miscues. He lasted 6.2 innings, throwing 113 pitches. The All-Star righty gave up two runs (zero earned) on four hits and two walks with nine strikeouts as he secured the series-clinching win.
Shohei Ohtani is set to start Game 1 of the NLDS against the Phillies as the Dodgers’ rotation looks to continue its run of excellence. Saturday’s outing will mark Ohtani’s postseason pitching debut.
The Dodgers enjoyed another strong playoff debut on Wednesday as Roki Sasaki closed out the Reds in a relief appearance. The former starter transitioned to the bullpen after returning from a lengthy IL stint. He earned a postseason roster spot by demonstrating his value as a reliever in late September.
Now, incredibly, Sasaki could be the Dodgers new closer. He looked unhittable in his ninth-inning appearance against Cincinnati. And, most importantly, he’s earned the trust of manager Dave Roberts.
