I’m sure you can hear a pin drop in the gaslamp quarter tonight. The Padres and their UPS colored fans packed Petco Park fully expecting to close out the NLDS on Wednesday night. San Diego gave the ball to their ace Dylan Cease, who was pitching on short rest. The Dodgers were doing a bullpen game because they had absolutely nobody to start the game. It looked like a mismatch on paper. Not so fast. The Dodgers had different plans. They efficiently ruined San Diego’s party by blowing out the Padres 8-0 in game 4 to force a decisive game 5 at Dodger Stadium on Friday night.
The Dodgers came out swinging, scoring early and taking the crowd out of the game. In the top of the first, Mookie Betts crushed a home run over the center field wall to put the Dodgers up 1-0. Profar couldn’t rob that one. The Dodgers plated two more in the top of the second. Gavin Lux walked, and Enrique Hernandez (playing because Freddie Freeman was a late scratch due to his ankle injury) stroked a single to center. Shohei Ohtani’s single down the line in right scored Lux, and the Dodgers went up 2-0. The Padres now fully spooked out, lifted Cease and went to their bullpen. Reliever Bryan Hoeing gives up a single to Mookie and the Dodgers are up 3-0. Mookie notched two hits, and a home run for a 2 for 5 performance.
Mookie strikes again! pic.twitter.com/HfWlWlBhJt
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 10, 2024
The Dodgers kept hitting. Max Muncy (playing first base) led off the top of the third with a double to right. Will Smith immediately homers to put the Dodgers up 5-0. The Dodgers added three more in the top of the seventh. After Muncy was hit by a pitch, Smith reached on an error from Xander Bogaerts. With runners at the corners, Tommy Edman squeeze bunted a run home. Then Lux smashed a two-run home run to right off of Wandy Peralta. The rout is on! The Dodgers have an 8-0 lead.
HELLO, WILL SMITH. pic.twitter.com/h62wgoTNTz
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 10, 2024
On the other side of the ball, the Dodger’s bullpen was incredible. The Dodgers used seven relievers, and Landon Knack to hold the Padres to just seven hits. Ryan Brasier, Anthony Banda, Michael Kopech, Alex Vesia, Evan Phillips, Daniel Hudson, Blake Treinen, and Knack struck out 8 and walked just two while holding the Padres to 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position. The Dodgers on the other hand were 5 for 9 with RISP.
The series will shift back to Dodger Stadium for the winner take-all game 5 on Friday night. San Diego will give the ball to Yu Darvish. The Dodgers will give the ball to Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and the entire pitching staff will be on deck again. I urge all Dodger fans to please get to the ravine on Friday night. Bring your towels, bring your jerseys, bring your lucky underwear. Get loud. It’s time for Dodger baseball.
Scott,
Great summary!
Credit goes to Dave Robert’s and all the players to rise to the challenge and beat this impressive Padres team.
Go Dodgers!
Thanks!
And yes this was a complete team effort.
Now hammer Darvish and move on.