Ohtani’s Gem, Hernández’s Bat Lead Dodgers to Sweep of Reds

In the thick of a late-season NL West battle, the Dodgers welcomed key reinforcements back to the roster, and they arrived at just the right time. Utilityman Kiké Hernández was activated from the injured list on Monday, and shortly after, the team announced Shohei Ohtani would see extended outings on the mound to help ease a depleted pitching staff. On Wednesday night, Ohtani took the ball with a chance to finish off a sweep of the Reds.

Noelvi Marte’s third-inning solo shot briefly gave Cincinnati a 1–0 lead, but the Dodgers answered in the fourth. With the bases loaded and two strikes against him, Hernández delivered a clutch two-run single up the middle, flipping the score to 2-1. “Kiké’s big hit with two strikes and finding a way to drive in a couple of runs was huge,” said manager Dave Roberts. A Dalton Rushing single pushed the lead to 4-1, giving Ohtani all the support he needed.

Ohtani dominated from there, turning in his best start as a Dodger. He worked five innings of one-run ball, striking out nine and allowing just two hits. “For him to complete five innings was huge not only for him but for us,” Hernández said. “It felt like [the Reds] just couldn’t figure it out. He made the adjustments he needed to keep them off balance.”

Michael Conforto added insurance with a solo homer in the eighth, and the bullpen slammed the door with four scoreless frames, striking out 19 of 27 batters faced, a franchise record for a nine-inning game.

The 5-1 win secured Ohtani’s first career victory as a Dodger starter and gave Los Angeles its fourth straight win. More notably, they became the first team this season to sweep the Reds, adding momentum as they push into the final month of the regular season.