LOS ANGELES — No matter how good they were in the regular season, the Los Angeles Dodgers knew they needed to do one thing: show up when it counts.
It’s far from over, but one game in, the Dodgers have done so.
Los Angeles overcame an early deficit thanks to the bats of Shohei Ohtani and Teoscar Hernandez to beat the San Diego Padres 7-5 in Game 1 of the Division Series between the NL West rivals.
The first inning looked like deja vu for the Dodgers. San Diego quickly attacked Yoshinobo Yamamoto and jumped out to a 3-0 lead with Manny Machado's home run before Ohtani could take his first postseason at-bat, and it felt like it could be another disappointing night at Chavez Ravine.
Then one mighty swing from the presumed NL MVP changed it all. A three-run blast by baseball’s first 50-50 man in the second inning tied it up and had Dodger Stadium shaking. After the Padres retook the lead in the third, Los Angeles responded with a three-spot in the fourth inning and another run in the following frame that put them out in front for good.
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For as much attention the Dodgers bats got Saturday night, it was the bullpen that saved the day and spared Yamamoto from taking a loss in his first postseason game. In six shutout innings of work from five relievers, Los Angeles limited the San Diego offense to two hits with seven strikeouts, overcoming four walks in the final two innings and a bases-loaded jam in the eighth.
The win ends the Dodgers’ six-game postseason losing streak and puts them ahead 1-0 in the best-of-five series. In 2022, it was the Dodgers that won Game 1 in the NLDS before the Padres took the next three and sent Los Angeles home.
Game 2 will be Sunday back in Los Angeles, and San Diego will try to steal one on the road just like it did two seasons ago.
Here's how Saturday's game unfolded:
LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers kept San Diego off the board.
After Michael Kopech and Blake Treinen combined to walk the bases loaded for the Padres, Treinen got Donovan Solano swinging on a filthy sweeper to end the eighth inning and keep the score at 7-5.
LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers took advantage of a Manny Machado error to extend their lead to 7-5.
In the bottom of the fifth, Will Smith hit a ground ball to Machado, but the two-time Gold Glove winner overthrew first baseman Donovan Solano, which allowed Smith to advance to second. After a Gavin Lux hit moved Smith to third with no outs, Tommy Edman grounded into a double play that brought Smith to home and add to the Dodgers' lead.
Back-and-forth we go in Los Angeles. A three-run inning has given the Dodgers the lead through four.
After getting Dylan Cease out of the game, a Shohei Ohtani single loaded the bases for Los Angeles. With Mookie Betts up to bat, a pitch from Padres pitcher Adrian Morejon got past catcher Kyle Higashioka and Tommy Edman came home to add a run. The Padres opted to intentionally walk Mookie Betts to load the bases again before Freddie Freeman hit a ball to first baseman Donovan Solano, who went home Miguel Rojas out on the force play.
But San Diego brought in right-hander Jeremiah Estrada to face Teoscar Hernandez, and the Dodgers left fielder made the Padres pay. He hit a single that got just under the glove of center fielder Jackson Merrill to bring in two more runs and take the lead 6-5.
Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobo Yamamoto’s first playoff game is done after three innings as the Padres were able to do some damage against the rookie.
Yamamoto finished giving up five runs on five hits with two walks and one strikeout on Saturday night.
San Diego is back in front once again.
With two outs and two on in the top of the third, Xander Bogaerts hit a double to left field to bring in Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill, making it 5-3 after Shohei Ohtani tied it up with a homer in the previous frame.
Left fielder Teoscar Hernandez tried to cut the ball off but it went past him as he slid, allowing Merrill to easily score from first and make it a two-run ballgame.
LOS ANGELES — Welcome to the playoffs, Shohei Ohtani.
The presumed NL MVP hit a no doubt three-run blast to the right field pavilion and sent Dodger Stadium into a frenzy to tie it at 3-3 in the bottom of the second.
Ohtani knew it right away.
Shohei Ohtani finally made his playoff debut and it ended with an out.
On the sixth pitch of his at-bat, he flew out to left field to get the Dodgers’ half of the inning started, already in a 3-0 hole.
LOS ANGELES — Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobo Yamamoto and catcher Will Smith aren’t connecting well, and it’s led to the Padres scoring in the top of the first.
After Luis Arraez hit an opposite-field single, he advanced to second on a passed ball and then to third on a wild pitch with Fernando Tatis Jr. at the plate. Tatis drew a walk, and Jurickson Profar hit a ground out to second to bring in Arrez for the first run of the night.
The following at-bat, Manny Machado hit a no-doubter to left field as San Diego jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead.
Yamamoto ended up throwing 28 pitches in the first.
First pitch in Game 1 is scheduled for 8:38 p.m. ET at Dodger Stadium.
LOS ANGELES — As the Los Angeles Dodgers head into the 2024 postseason in need of pitching depth, they won't have their future Hall of Fame left-hander.
Manager Dave Roberts announced ahead of Game 1 of the National League Divisional Series that Clayton Kershaw will not pitch again this season.
“Clayton has done everything he can to keep this thing moving forward and giving himself a chance to participate in the postseason,” Roberts said. "But where he's at right now, physically, the foot, the toe, just is not cooperating. It's actually getting worse. Yeah, this is it for Clayton for 2024."
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