The Los Angeles Dodgers advanced to the National League (NL) Division Series after rallying to victory against the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday.

Dodger Stadium grew tense as fans feared an early October collapse. The weight of postseason expectations pressed heavily on the players, especially with veterans like Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman struggling to make an impact at the plate.

When the Reds’ bullpen entered in the seventh with a four-run cushion, Cincinnati fans already started dreaming of the NLDS. The Dodgers, it seemed, were finished.

But baseball, as it so often does, had other plans. In the eighth inning, a flicker of life appeared. Will Smith laced a double down the line, and Chris Taylor followed with an RBI single to cut the deficit to three.

It wasn’t much, but it shifted the energy in the ballpark. The crowd, dormant for much of the night, came alive with renewed hope, urging every batter to keep the rally going. Even though the Dodgers stranded two runners in scoring position, the seed had been planted: maybe, just maybe, there was still a chance.

The Dodgers completed a sweep of the NL Wild Card series with a 8-4 win, inspired in part by the brilliant Mookie Betts and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

Betts had four hits and three RBIs, while Yamamoto threw nine strikeouts and allowed only four hits in 6.2 innings pitched to help the Dodgers to victory in Game 2.

Shohei Ohtani – who went 1-for-4 at the plate on Wednesday – had inspired LA to a win in the opening game of the series.

Related article

Guardians’ David Fry out of hospital with facial and nasal fractures after being struck in face by 99 mph pitch

The Dodgers, who are the defending World Series champions, will now face the Philadelphia Phillies, with Game 1 of that series set for Saturday night in the City of Brotherly Love.

“I know we can win the whole thing,” Betts told reporters after Game 2. “We just have to play good baseball.

“We’ve just got to continue to pitch, timely hitting and play defense, and everything should be OK.”

While the night ended in victory for the Dodgers, it hadn’t always looked to be going their way.

The Reds raced into a 2-0 lead in the first inning, courtesy of some sloppy play from the Dodgers.

But Betts, who has endured a difficult season up until this point, hit three doubles on the night to help overhaul the result and continue the Dodgers on a path to a World Series repeat.

Dodger Stadium erupted in chaos. Fans hugged strangers, players stormed the field, and Muncy was mobbed by his teammates at second base. The Reds, meanwhile, stood in stunned silence, unable to process how victory had slipped through their fingers in a matter of minutes. What had felt like a coronation for Cincinnati became a cruel collapse, the kind of loss that lingers for an entire offseason.

After the game, manager Dave Roberts praised his team’s resilience. “We were dead in the water for most of the night,” he admitted. “But this group never quits. That ninth inning showed who we are. We believe until the last out, and tonight we proved it again.”

Muncy, the unlikely hero, credited the crowd as much as his own swing. “You could feel the energy building,” he said, still soaked from a Gatorade shower. “Once we got a couple guys on, it felt inevitable. That’s Dodger baseball—we fight until the end.”

“Just happy I can help the boys win and contribute,” Betts added. “It’s better late than never.

“I went through arguably one of the worst years of my career, but I think it really made me mentally tough. So now there’s just a different level of focus. It’s not really on myself, it’s more on winning the game.”

Yankees force do-or-die Game 3

Elsewhere, the New York Yankees forced Game 3 against the Boston Red Sox with a 4-3 victory in the second game of the American League (AL) Wild Card series.

Jazz Chisholm Jr., who was benched for the opener, showed the Yankees what they had been missing by helping his team to a 4-3 victory.

Chisholm Jr., who was clearly frustrated by his omission in Game 1, not only delivered an impressive defensive performance on the night, but also demonstrated athleticism around the bases.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. dives into home to score in the eighth inning.
Daniel Shirey/MLB/Getty Images

The highlight was when the 27-year-old scored from first on Austin Wells’ go-ahead hit in the bottom of the eighth, sprinting around the bases at incredible speed before diving headfirst to beat the throw at home plate. He was clocked at 9.16 seconds from first to home, according to MLB.com.

“What do you expect? The guy is a game-changer,” said Yankees captain Aaron Judge.

“It just shows you the maturity, to take what happened the day before and bring it into today’s game. He showed up ready to play today and ended up having the biggest plays for us throughout the night.”

The Los Angeles Dodgers have made a habit out of late-game drama, but Wednesday night’s Wild Card showdown against the Cincinnati Reds will be remembered as one of the most astonishing comebacks in franchise history. With their season hanging by a thread and the crowd at Dodger Stadium holding its collective breath, Los Angeles roared back in the bottom of the ninth to steal a 6-5 win and punch their ticket to the NLDS. For eight innings, it looked like the Reds had written the Dodgers’ obituary. Then, in the blink of an eye, everything changed.

The game began as a nightmare scenario for Los Angeles. Reds starter Hunter Greene silenced the bats early, blowing fastballs past hitters and forcing weak contact. The Dodgers’ offense, one of baseball’s most explosive during the regular season, couldn’t find its rhythm. By the fifth inning, Cincinnati had built a 5-1 lead behind timely hitting from Elly De La Cruz and a two-run blast from Spencer Steer. Every pitch, every play seemed to signal a stunning upset in the making.

Then came the ninth. Reds closer Alexis Díaz, usually dominant in high-pressure spots, looked shaky from his very first pitch. A leadoff walk to James Outman cracked the door open. Betts, who had been 0-for-4 with two strikeouts, stepped to the plate knowing this was his moment to redeem himself. He drilled a single to right, putting two men on and sending Dodger Stadium into a frenzy. Freeman followed with a double into the gap, scoring Outman and cutting the lead to two. Suddenly, the Reds’ confidence evaporated.

As Díaz struggled, manager David Bell stuck with his closer, hoping he could battle through. But the Dodgers smelled blood. Smith ripped another single to bring in Betts, making it 5-4. With runners at the corners, the tying run stood just ninety feet away. On a 2-1 count, Max Muncy delivered the blow that will be remembered for years: a screaming line drive into the right-field corner. Freeman scored easily to tie the game, and as Smith motored around third, the ball caromed just out of reach of the cutoff man. Smith slid across the plate, safe, and the Dodgers walked off with a 6-5 miracle win.

For the Reds, the collapse will be dissected for months. Bell defended his decision to stick with Díaz but acknowledged the heartbreak. “That one hurts,” he said quietly. “We were right there, one inning away. It’s going to take a while to get over this.”

The victory sends Los Angeles to the NLDS, where they’ll face the Atlanta Braves in what promises to be a heavyweight clash. For the Dodgers, the ninth-inning miracle might be exactly the spark they needed to chase another World Series. The resilience and firepower they showed in their comeback reaffirmed why they remain one of baseball’s most feared postseason teams.

For fans, this game will go down as one of the greatest Dodger memories in recent years. What seemed destined to end in disappointment turned into an unforgettable night of triumph. From despair to euphoria, the emotional rollercoaster encapsulated everything that makes October baseball magical.

In the end, the Dodgers weren’t dead at all—they were waiting for their moment. And when it came, they roared back to life, sending shockwaves through the baseball world. The Reds may have collapsed, but for Los Angeles, the miracle of the ninth inning might just be the beginning of something special.

Ben Rice also hit a two-run homer in the first inning and had two hits in his postseason debut to help the Bronx Bombers to victory.

Game 3 will take place in New York on Thursday.

In Wednesday’s other games, the San Diego Padres drew level in their series with the Chicago Cubs after a 3-0 win. Elsewhere, the Cleveland Guardians forced their AL Wild Card series against the Detroit Tigers to a deciding game after winning 6-1 in Game 2.