Dodgers clinch NLDS berth with dominant outing from Yamamoto

LOS ANGELES – Yoshinobu Yamamoto once again showed why he has become the Dodgers’ ace in just his second season in the Major Leagues. With a quality start and composure in moments of greatest pressure, the Japanese pitcher led Los Angeles to an 8-4 victory over the Reds, thus securing their ticket to the National League Division Series (NLDS) against the Philadelphia Phillies.

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Manager Dave Roberts fully trusted Yamamoto for the decisive game, and the right-hander responded with 113 pitches, the most of his MLB career. In the sixth inning, he emerged unscathed from a complicated situation with the bases loaded and no outs, receiving a thunderous ovation from the Los Angeles crowd when he left the mound in the seventh inning. A day after Blake Snell’s solid performance, the starting rotation once again made the difference. Yamamoto’s pitching, combined with the offense of figures like Shohei Ohtani and Teóscar Hernández, was key for the defending champions to sweep the Wild Card Series. With this result, the Dodgers advance undefeated in this instance since the best-of-three format was adopted in 2022. Now, they will have the mission of continuing to defend their crown in the NLDS against the Phillies, a series that will begin next Saturday at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.