Dodgers oust Reds in wild card, advance vs. Phillies in NLDS - ESPN

LOS ANGELES — Yoshinobu Yamamoto struck out nine while pitching into the seventh inning, and the Los Angeles Dodgers broke it open with a four-run sixth inning to beat the Cincinnati Reds 8-4 on Wednesday night and advance to the National League Division Series.

After hitting a franchise playoff-tying five home runs in a 10-5 win in the NL Wild Card Series opener Tuesday, the Dodgers eliminated the Reds by playing small ball and rapping out 13 hits — two fewer than in Game 1. Mookie Betts went 4 for 5 with three doubles.

The Dodgers advanced to face the Phillies in the NLDS starting Saturday in Philadelphia. The teams last met in the postseason in 2009, when the Phillies beat the Dodgers in the NL Championship Series for the second straight year.

After the Reds took a 2-0 lead in the first, Yamamoto retired the next 13 batters.

The Dodgers rallied to take a 3-2 lead before the Japanese right-hander wiggled his way out of a huge jam in the sixth. The Reds loaded the bases with no outs on consecutive singles by TJ Friedl, Spencer Steer and former Dodger Gavin Lux.

Austin Hays grounded into a fielder's choice to shortstop and Betts fired home, where catcher Ben Rortvedt stomped on the plate to get Friedl. Yamamoto then retired Sal Stewart and Elly De La Cruz on back-to-back swinging strikeouts to end the threat.

With blue rally towels waving, Yamamoto walked off to a standing ovation from the crowd of 50,465.

He got the first two outs of the seventh before leaving to a second ovation. The right-hander allowed two runs, four hits and walked two on a career-high 113 pitches.

For the second straight night, the fans' mood soured in the eighth. Reliever Emmet Sheehan gave up two runs, making it 8-4, before the Reds brought the