1 of 5 | Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto reacts after striking out Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz in the sixth inning of Game 2 of an MLB National League wild card series Wednesday at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Photo by John McCoy/UPI | License Photo
The Los Angeles Dodgers rallied to sweep their wild card series, while three other MLB teams forced decisive Game 3s on Day 2 of the 2025 MLB playoffs.
Shortstop Mookie Betts went 4 for 5 with three doubles and three RBIs in the Dodgers’ 8-4 triumph over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday in Los Angeles. Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto allowed four hits and two runs over 6 2/3 innings. Right fielder Teoscar Hernandez recorded a two-run double.
“I’m just glad I showed up when it was time,” Betts said on the Spectrum SportsNet broadcast. “It’s been a rough year, but it’s never too late.”
The Dodgers will battle the second-seeded Philadelphia Phillies in Game 1 of a National League Division Series on Saturday in Philadelphia.
Infielder Sal Stewart hit a two-run single in the top of the first to give the Reds and early edge. They held the Dodgers scoreless until Betts swatted an RBI single in the third. Left fielder Enrique Hernandez hit an RBI double in the fourth to tie the score at 2-2. Second baseman Miguel Rojas added an RBI single in the next at-bat for the Dodgers’ first lead.
They added four runs in the sixth and never looked back.
Betts plated the Dodgers’ final run with an RBI double in the seventh. The Reds scored twice in the eighth, but could not complete their late rally.
Reds starter Zack Littell allowed six hits and three runs over 3 1/3 innings. Stewart and Reds designated hitter Gavin Lux recorded two hits apiece.
The Guardians, who dropped Game 1 of their American League wild card series with the Detroit Tigers, responded with a 6-1 victory Wednesday in Cleveland. Right fielder George Valera, second baseman Brayan Rocchio and catcher Bo Naylor each homered for the Guardians.
Pitcher Tanner Bibee allowed five hits and one run over 4 2/3 innings. The Guardians bullpen allowed just two hits over 4 1/3 shutout innings.
Valera hit a 411-foot solo homer in the bottom of the first for a 1-0 Guardians advantage. The Tigers tied the score on an RBI single from shortstop Javier Baez in the top of the fourth. Rocchio and Naylor each swatted homers in the eighth as part of a five-run inning to help the Guardians tie the best-of-three game series.
The Guardians will host the Tigers in Game 3 at 3:08 p.m. EDT Thursday in Cleveland.
Dylan Cease allowed three hits over 3 2/3 innings before giving the ball to the Padres bullpen for a stellar showing in a 3-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday in Chicago.
Center fielder Jackson Merrill gave the Padres a lead with an RBI sacrifice fly in the top of the first. Star third baseman Manny Machado clobbered a 404-foot, two-run homer in the fifth for the final runs of the night.
The Cubs will host the Padres in Game 3 at 5:08 p.m. Thursday in Chicago.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. raced around the base paths for an electric go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth to help the Yankees edge the rival Boston Red Sox 4-3 on Wednesday in New York.
First baseman Ben Rice gave the Yankees a 2-0 lead with a 364-foot, line-drive homer in the bottom of the first inning of Game 2 of that American League wild card series. The Red Sox tied the score with a two-run third.
The Yankees took another lead on an RBI single from right fielder Aaron Judge in the fifth, but Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story answered with a 381-foot solo homer in the top of the sixth. The Red Sox didn’t plate another run over the final three innings.
Chisholm drew a two-out walk from Red Sox relief pitcher Garrett Whitlock in the third at-bat of the bottom of the eighth. Yankees catcher Austin Wells went on to work for an even count against the right-handed pitcher.
He proceeded to connect with the seventh pitch of that exchange for a single to right field. Chisholm rounded second and third base before diving over home and beating catcher Carlos Narvaez’s tag for the go-ahead score.
“You don’t want to have any space or give another team a little bit of an edge,” Chisholm said, according to MLB.com. “Obviously, I think it was a must-win.”
The Yankees will host Game 3 at 8:08 p.m. Thursday at Yankee Stadium.
