LOS ANGELES: The Los Angeles Dodgers are moving on.
Shohei Ohtani hit his 50th home run of the season and Yoshinobu Yamamoto struck out nine over seven innings as the Dodgers beat the Cincinnati Reds 5-2 on Thursday night, completing a sweep in the Wild Card Series.
Ohtani connected in the third inning for a two-run shot off Hunter Greene, giving Los Angeles a quick 3-0 lead. The Japanese star circled the bases as fans stood and cheered, sensing the series was already tilting one way.
Yamamoto did the rest. The right-hander allowed only one run and three hits, keeping Cincinnati’s lineup quiet until he left in the seventh.
Mookie Betts added to the highlight reel in the fifth, running down a drive from Elly De La Cruz that looked bound for extra bases. The Reds got a late homer from Spencer Steer, but their rally stopped there.
It was business as usual for the Dodgers, who reached the postseason for the eighth straight year. They now face the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Division Series — a rematch of last season’s seven-game battle.
