Dodgers sweep Reds, advance to NLDS against Phillies

Yoshinobu Yamamoto struck out nine and pitched into the seventh inning as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Cincinnati Reds 8-4 on Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium to complete a two-game sweep of the National League wild-card series and advance to the NL Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Yamamoto allowed two runs on four hits with two walks while throwing a career-high 113 pitches. After the Reds opened the scoring 2-0 in the first inning, the Japanese right-hander retired 13 consecutive batters and helped quell a bases-loaded, no-outs threat in the sixth. With the bases full, Yamamoto struck out Sal Stewart and Elly De La Cruz on consecutive swinging strikes to escape the jam and received standing ovations as he left the field after recording two outs in the seventh.

Los Angeles broke the game open with a four-run sixth inning that followed a sluggish start at the plate. The Dodgers had taken a 3-2 lead earlier when Kiké Hernández hit an RBI double and Miguel Rojas delivered an RBI single that chased Reds starter Zack Littell. In the sixth, Shohei Ohtani delivered an RBI single to snap an 0-for-9 skid against reliever Nick Martinez, Mookie Betts added an RBI...