The Los Angeles Dodgers secured a thrilling 4-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 2 of the NL Division Series, taking a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five matchup. Blake Snell dominated, striking out nine over six shutout innings, while relievers Alex Vesia and Roki Sasaki held off a late Phillies rally to preserve the win.
Dodgers’ Offense Explodes in Seventh Inning
Shohei Ohtani contributed his first hit of the series with an RBI single during a four-run seventh inning, giving the Dodgers a 4-1 lead heading into the ninth. Key hits from Will Smith and Teoscar Hernández earlier in the game helped the Dodgers break the pitchers’ duel against Jesús Luzardo.
Phillies Rally Falls Short in Ninth
Philadelphia’s Nick Castellanos delivered a headfirst slide for a two-run double off Blake Treinen, cutting the deficit to 4-3 and sending the crowd into a frenzy. However, Dodgers’ defense responded: Max Muncy and Mookie Betts executed a clutch relay to get Castellanos out, while pinch-hitter Harrison Bader singled before Roki Sasaki retired NL batting champion Trea Turner to secure the final out.
Dodgers’ Bullpen and Defense Shine
Freddie Freeman made a spectacular play at first base, catching a poor throw from Tommy Edman while keeping his foot on the bag and rolling to secure the out. The Dodgers’ bullpen, featuring Vesia and Sasaki, showed resilience, maintaining the lead despite Philadelphia’s late-game surge.
Blake Snell Dominates Phillies
Two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell was sensational, allowing just one hit over six innings. The Phillies’ lineup, including Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, and Trea Turner, struggled against Snell, combining for only one hit in 10 at-bats with five strikeouts. Snell worked out of a sixth-inning jam, striking out Harper and getting Alec Bohm to end the threat.
Dodgers Poised to Clinch NLCS
The Dodgers, finally mostly healthy after a season plagued by injuries, need just one win in their next two home games to advance to the National League Championship Series. Historically, teams taking a 2-0 lead in a best-of-five series have an 89% success rate, including multiple sweeps.
Game 3 Preview
The Dodgers will send RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto to the mound for Game 3, facing Aaron Nola and the Phillies. Yamamoto struck out a postseason-high nine batters in the Wild Card Series clincher, giving the Dodgers a strong chance to complete the sweep and advance to the NLCS.
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