The Los Angeles Dodgers were the only wild card team in 2025 to sweep the series, as they dominated the Cincinnati Reds in a quick two-game wild card sweep.
The Dodgers' were powered by their incredible starting pitching. Blake Snell started it off on Tuesday night with seven dazzling innings, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto followed him up with 6.2 incredible innings on Wednesday.
In the process, the Dodgers' duo made MLB history. Never in MLB postseason history had a team's back-to-back starters pitch the way Snell and Yamamoto did this week.
Dodgers' Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto Make History
Snell and Yamamoto became the first back-to-back starters in MLB postseason history to pitch at least 20 outs, allow fewer than five hits, strikeout at least nine batters and earn the win, according to OptaSTATS.
Yamamoto has been Los Angeles' horse all year long, making 30 starts and covering 173.2 innings with a 2.49 ERA. The Dodgers' starter also had a WHIP under one during the regular season and was the lone pitcher on the staff to reach 200 strikeouts.
Blake Snell's longest career #Postseason outing 💎 pic.twitter.com/XQ2L5P7qzx
— MLB (@MLB) October 1, 2025
Snell dealt with injuries for most of the year, but has been lights out since he's returned. He's made 11 starts, covering 61.1 innings with a 2.35 ERA.
Both starters continued that in the wild card series, getting the Dodgers through the first round of the 2025 MLB postseason.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto shines in his first outing of the 2025 #Postseason pic.twitter.com/df09cgWSJf
— MLB (@MLB) October 2, 2025
In addition, both starters also made their own history, as Snell completed seven innings for the first time in his postseason career and Yamamoto threw a career-high 113 pitches in his outing.
Now, the Dodgers will prepare to face the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS, which starts on Saturday, Oct. 4, at Citizens Bank Park.