Wild Card Preview: Yamamoto Aims to Push Dodgers to the NLDS

LOS ANGELES, CA—Despite the blowout win by the Los Angeles Dodgers yesterday, with their offense dropping ten runs on the Cincinnati Reds ’ pitching staff, all eyes are on the bullpen as the team looks to advance to the National League Division Series.

The Dodgers set the tone for the Wild Card Series last night with Blake Snell tossing seven fantastic innings, allowing just two runs to cross the plate while collecting nine punchouts to end his Dodgers postseason debut.

The offense continued their torrid stretch from last October, smacking a franchise record five home runs, including two multi-home run games from two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani and fan-favorite Teoscar Hernández.

Still, the night did not end on a high note, as the Dodgers faithful were quickly brought back down to earth after the bullpen was shaky, as they’ve been nearly all season, allowing the Reds to chip away in the eighth inning.

Fourtantrley, rookie left-hander Jack Dreyer, and veteran right-hander Blake Treinen were able to extinguish the flames and close out the game, pushing the Dodgers just one win from advancing and the Reds one game closer to elimination.

Pitching Probables

Yoshinobu Yamamoto (12-8, 2.49 ERA) vs Zack Littell (10-8, 3.81 ERA)

Left-hander Blake Snell had his way with the Reds lineup yesterday, and today is set to be no different, as likely National League Cy Young Award finalists and National League Pitcher of the Month for September, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, will take the ball for Los Angeles, looking to send the Dodgers to the NLDS.

In just his second season, Yamamoto has put together a fantastic campaign, and from start to finish, he was the Dodgers’ ace for the entire regular season.

Now, with the chance to push the Dodgers through to the next round, Yamamoto will look to continue his postseason legacy, and he’s more than ready for the opportunity.

In his career, Yamamoto is 1-1 against the Reds with a 3.75 ERA in two appearances; however, his most recent outing on July 28th in Cincy, the Japanese right-hander tossed seven innings of one-run ball while punching out nine Reds hitters.

Taking the ball for the Reds facing elimination is right-handed pitcher Zack Littell, but he’ll likely have a short leash facing the Dodgers with the team already down 0-1 in the short three-game series.

Expect to see lefties Nick Lodolo and, possibly, Andrew Abbot, the Reds Game Three starter, if the situation calls for it, as crafty left-handers could give the Dodgers lineup fits.

Littell, the former San Francisco Giant, has had decent success against Los Angeles in the past, going 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA across fourteen appearances as a bullpen arm.

However, now in 2025, Littell has advanced to a starting rotation role and will look to translate that success against Los Angeles to tonight, hoping to continue the Reds’ season.

Who to Watch

Yesterday, I went with Andy Pages as my player to watch, and while he did have a single, his teammates Shohei Ohtani and Teoscar Hernández stole the show.

However, tonight I’m picking Dodgers veteran third baseman Max Muncy despite the left-handed slugger having a cold night in Game One, going 0-for-4 with three K’s.

In his career, Muncy is two-for-five against Littell with two home runs and five RBI, and a walk sprinkled in.

For the Reds, I’ll go with their young franchise icon, Elly De La Cruz, as they’ll not only need him to step up tonight but step up the rest of the series if the team wants to put up a fight against the Dodgers.

In his career, Elly is 1-for-4 against Yamamoto, along with a pair of walks, and if the Reds want to put the pressure on the Dodgers’ pitching staff and catcher, they’ll need Elly to get one base.

Where to Watch

The National League Wild Card round will be exclusively broadcast on ESPN, with this three-game series being commented on by Jon Sciambi, Doug Glanville, and Alden Gonzalez.

First pitch is slated for 6:08 PM PT at Chavez Ravine.

Betting Odds

The Dodgers aim to advance to the NLDS, while the Reds hope to prolong the series with a victory. The Dodgers are -275 favorites on the moneyline, with the Reds at +223. Los Angeles is also favored on the run line with a -1.5 spread. The game has an over/under total of 8 runs.

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