Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell. Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Dodgers cruise to 2-0 NLDS lead after dominant outing by ace

By Zachary Cariola | Last updated Oct 7, 2025 9:12 AM ET

After having one hit through seven innings in Game 2, the Philadelphia Phillies did show some fight in the ninth inning to make the National League Division Series game competitive, but in the end, the Los Angeles Dodgers were victorious.

Taking a 2-0 lead going back home, the Dodgers are firing on all cylinders, and the Phillies are struggling to find answers. The Dodgers had great starting pitching once again from Blake Snell, who has dominated the Phillies twice in three weeks, throwing seven shutout innings of two-hit baseball and striking out 12 on Sept. 17.

Dodgers win Game 2 with great pitching and timely hitting

The Dodgers won Game 2 just like they won Game 1, off great pitching and timely hitting. Snell had another dominant postseason start, throwing six shutout innings of one-hit ball with four walks and striking out nine Phillies hitters.

According to Major League Baseball, Snell has the most career outings (four) of 9+ strikeouts while allowing two or fewer hits by any pitcher in history. Snell is 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 13.0 innings (two starts) this postseason.

Blake Snell has 4 career #Postseason outings with 9+ strikeouts and 2 or fewer hits allowed.

That's the most by any pitcher in MLB history! pic.twitter.com/bfZtXhc30p
— MLB (@MLB) October 7, 2025

The offense also came up strong when the Dodgers needed it, as they finally cracked the code to Phillies starter Jesus Luzardo, who had dominated them for six innings. Getting two singles from Teoscar Hernandez and Freddie Freeman, Phillies manager Rob Thomson pulled Luzardo in favor of Orion Kerkering.

Kerkering struck Tommy Edman and got Andy Pages to pop out, while Hernandez scored on a dribble to Trea Turner. Walking Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy on four pitches, Will Smith singled on a hanging sweeper for the decisive hit of the game, which made the score 3-0.

WILL SMITH, BEST CATCHER IN BASEBALL. pic.twitter.com/sl2Xlfjzsk
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 7, 2025

Dodgers can secure the series win at home

Heading home with a 2-0 lead, the Dodgers are in a good position to win Game 3 at home with Yoshinobu Yamamoto getting the start. In one start versus the Cincinnati Reds, Yamamoto was dominant, throwing 6.2 innings and striking out nine while walking two. Even though there’s pressure for the Phillies to win on the road, Game 3 is a must-win for the Dodgers.

"We’ve got to win three," Smith said to MLB.com’s Andres Soto. "We’ve got the first two. So we’ve got to stay ready."

The Dodgers have the statistics on their side. MLB.com’s Sarah Langs reports that teams that take a 2-0 lead in a best-of-five series win 80 out of 90 times (88.9 percent).

Zachary Cariola

My name is Zachary Cariola and I have been a sports fan for as long as I can remember. My areas of expertise are MLB, NBA, and NFL. You can find my other work on Southside Showdown from FanSided and at Chicitysports where I cover all Chicago sports. When not watching sports, I love spending time with my family and learning history.

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