There was good, bad, and there was ugly on Wednesday evening in the Dodger’s game 2 of the National League Wild Card series win over the Cincinnati Reds. The Dodgers knocked off the Reds in game 2 at Dodger Stadium 8-4. It wasn’t pretty, but the Dodgers got another strong performance from Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and the bats scored eight runs on thirteen hits while going 6 for 18 with runners in scoring position. Speaking of the ugly, the bullpen had another meltdown in the eighth inning again tonight, almost blowing it. Fortunately the Dodgers were able to right the ship in time. Roki Sasaki closed out the game and the series looking downright dominant. The Dodgers advance to the NLCS to take on the Philadelphia Phillies.
The good
Yamamoto was very effective again. He tossed 6.2 innings, allowing two runs (none earned) two walks and striking out nine. He made 113 pitches, which were probably a few too many for him. But the Dodger’s bullpen is like a ghost town this year with tumbleweeds blowing. So they had to push him. The only innings he ran into trouble was the first, and the sixth frames. He should have been out of the first inning without allowing anything, but Teoscar Hernandez’s error kept the inning going. Yamamoto would rebound after Sal Stewart’s two-run single in that frame, by striking out Elly De La Cruz.
In the top of the sixth, with the Dodgers ahead 3-2, Yoshi allowed three consecutive singles to TJ Friedl, Spencer Steer, and Gavin Lux. Yamamoto once again put his head down and gritted his teeth to escape the jam. There was a grounder to short by Austin Hayes with the bases loaded. Mookie Betts made a veteran play to cut down the runner at the plate. Then Yamamoto struck out Stewart and de La Cruz to end the inning. It is becoming very clear that Yamamoto is this era’s version of Walker Buehler in big games. If there is a game 7, you want to give the ball to Yoshi.
YOSHINOBU YAMAMOTO. pic.twitter.com/Xr8lzCaCuQ
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 2, 2025
The very good
The bats delievered throughout the game. Dodger hitting came through again, and this time they did it without hitting a home run. In the bottom of the third, Ben Rortvedt doubled and scored when Mookie singled him in. In the following inning, Max Muncy’s single and an Enrique Hernandez double tied the game. Rojas’s flare dropped just fair inside the right field line to score Kike to give the Dodgers the lead. They would never relinquish.
The boys in blue scored four more in the sixth. Kike’s swinging bunt single, and after Rortvedt reached on a throwing error from Stewart, Shohei Ohtani singled into right. 4-2 Dodgers. Mookie Betts double down the line in left scored two more and Teoscar Hernandez’s double plated another two. In the bottom of the seventh, another RBI double from Mookie made the score 8-2 Dodgers. Mookie was 4 for 5 on the night with three runs driven in. Kike, Rojas and Rortvedt each had two hits apiece.
Kiké knows October! pic.twitter.com/UtRCBPrHjv
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 2, 2025
ON REPEAT. pic.twitter.com/L6VkdIXgOm
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 2, 2025
Shohei, Mookie and Teoscar seeing Red. pic.twitter.com/pBHvt3pDyU
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 2, 2025
The Bad
The Dodger’s Achillies heel this season has been the bullpen and the outfield defense. I’ll get to the bullpen in a minute. The outfield defense is not nearly as good as it was since Mookie switched to short. The Dodgers made three errors tonight. The first was a shallow fly to Teo in right in the first inning that clanked off his glove. Normally he makes that catch, but you just can’t make those types of easy mistakes in the postseason.
Kike (love the guy) and even though he did make a nice running grab in the first inning, he also misplayed a ball in the eighth inning on a base hit to left from Lux. That was the second error. The third error was a dropped foul pop by Rortvedt in the ninth inning. The Dodgers have to tighten this up.
The Ugly
THE BULLPEN! That pen, I swear. The Dodgers had pushed Yamamoto as far as they were able to. He had pitched 6.2 innings, and made 113 pitches (Boy wouldn’t it have been nice if Teo hadn’t missed that fly ball in the first that added another 10 pitches on his arm?) The Dodgers had to get 7 outs from the pen somehow. So with the score 8-2, they brought in Emmet Sheehan to start the eighth inning. The same inning that went haywire in game one. That eighth inning….the devil’s frame. They weren’t going to make the same mistake as the night before by bringing in Edgardo Henrqiuez and Alex Vesia right?
Alex shuts ’em down! pic.twitter.com/wbomOgod7W
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 2, 2025
Well, Sheehan pitched poorly. He just didn’t have it. Lux singled and went to second on Kike’s error. Hayes walked, Stewart singled to score Lux, and the bases were loaded with nobody out. Not again!
A wild pitch, a walk to De La Cruz. Make it stop! After a Tyler Stephenson sacrifice fly, it is 8-4. Dave Roberts had seen enough and makes the trip to the mound and the call to the pen and this time it’s…..Alex Vesia?! You got it, it’s Vesia. This time it’s the better Vesia, kind of. He strikes out Will Benson, walks Matt McLain, but then strikes out Friedl. Finally the eighth inning is over.
The good again
Roki Sasaki. He was outstanding, coming into the game throwing 100 MPH heaters. He struck out two in the ninth and pitched a clean inning. Have the Dodgers found their new playoff closer?
Wild Card Series? CHECK. pic.twitter.com/hPiQjZye6L
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 2, 2025
All said, the Dodgers won anyways. The boys in blue advance to the NLDS to take on the Phillies. They will board a plane for Philadelphia and open the series on Saturday night. It looks like Ohtani could open the series, but Tyler Glasnow is also ready to take the mound. The Dodgers have a couple of days to figure it out. Until then let’s enjoy this series win before the real Agita begins this weekend.
