Throughout September as they played one must-win game after another to stay in the playoff race, the Reds referred to themselves as "cockroaches" that can't be killed. In the epitome of a do-or-die Game 2 of the National League Wild Card Series on Wednesday,

The Los Angeles Dodgers are moving on in the postseason to face the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS. The team is confident in its chances.

In a brief two-game slugfest, the Los Angeles Dodgers outscored the Cincinnati Reds 18-9, taking their wild-card series by storm and sending Cincinnati home. In the process, the reigning champs’ offense has put the other NL contenders on notice.

After their 8-4 elimination loss in Game 2 on Oct. 1, the Reds dropped to 2-15 in postseason games since they last won a playoff series in 1995 – coincidentally in a sweep of the Dodgers.

In another game, the San Diego Padres evened their NL Wild Card series against the Chicago Cubs with a 3-0 shutout, setting up a thrilling conclusion. In the AL, the Cleveland Guardians bounced back with a 6-1 rout of the Detroit Tigers, forcing a deciding game in their series.

Four Cincinnati Reds players have been nominated for the All-MLB Team for their performance in the 2025 season: Hunter Greene, Elly De La Cruz, Andrew Abbott, and Emilio Pagán.

Fans can get the "October Baseball" shirt the team wore during the champagne-soaked locker room celebration for $41.99 on the Fanatics website, www.fanatics.com, or through the MLB Shop at www.mlbshop.com. The design is also available on both sites in a hoodie for $79.99.

LOS ANGELES — Don’t expect the Cincinnati Reds to pitch around Shohei Ohtani in Game 2 of their wild-card series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Manager Terry Francona has too much respect for the former league MVPs who bat second and third in the Dodgers’ lineup.