The Dodgers took game 1 from the Padres on Tuesday night in the opening game of their NLDS at Dodger Stadium. The boys in blue jumped out ahead early scoring five runs and everything looked like it was going to be a blowout. Chavez Ravine jumped and screamed with excitement and all of twitter giggled with glee. But the Padres wouldn’t go down that easily scoring 3 runs in the top of the fifth and threatening again in the top of the sixth, making the game tense the rest of the night. Fortunately the Dodger’s bullpen came through with flying colors holding the Madres scoreless the last four innings of the game as the Dodgers won game 1 with a 5-3 score.
The Dodgers gave the ball to Julio Urias to start the series and he was dominant through the first four frames. The Padres had just one hit until the fifth inning. Urias looked on top of his game as he plowed through the San Diego lineup. Meanwhile the Dodgers pounded Padre’s starter Mike Clevinger with two runs in the first and three more in the third. Trea Turner Homered into the left field pavilions in the top of the first to get the party started. One out later Will Smith doubled and scored on an RBI single from Max Muncy to put the Dodgers ahead 2-0. Trea would notch two hits on the night, a home run and a double in the Dodger’s win. Sign him please!
Trea led off the bottom of the third with a double and scored on a Will Smith double into left field to extend the Dodger’s lead to 3-0. After Max Muncy walked, Gavin Lux’s double into the right corner plated another run to give the Dodgers a 4-0 lead. Trayce Thomspon walked and Cody Bellinger reached when Wil Myers flubbed a routine grounder to score another Dodger run and the boys in blue were up 5-0.
Urias was rolling along until the top of the fifth when Myers led off with a solo home run that put the Padres on the board. Cronenworth singled and scored on a Ha-Seong Kim double that put runners at second and third. A Trent Grisham ground out plated the second run to cut the Dodger’s lead to 5-2. Austin Nola’s sac fly scored the third run and the score was 5-3 Dodgers. Urias got out of the inning inducing Jurickson Profar to fly to right.
TREA! pic.twitter.com/HdJDELGdNc
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 12, 2022
The Dodgers bats would not be heard from the rest of the game so it was up to the bullpen to hold the slim lead. Evan Phillips entered the game for the top of the sixth and allowed a walk to Juan Soto and a piddly infield single along the third base line to Manny Machado. The crowd started to get nervous. Thankfully Phillips demonstrated why he has been the Dodger’s finest reliever all season long. He struck out Josh Bell and then got a clutch double play to retire Myers and escape the inning. Hats off to Lux for making a great play to start the 4-6-3 double play.
Turn it! pic.twitter.com/nzuCPqiWmV
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 12, 2022
Left hander Alex Vesia and his tight pants tossed a scoreless seventh inning striking out Cronenworth, Kim, and Nola to keep the two-run lead intact. The Dodgers let Vesia open the top of the eighth and he rewarded them by getting the first two outs of the frame. Dave Roberts pulled Vesia and brought in Brusdar Graterol to pitch to Machado. Graterol won that battle as Machado flied to left on the first pitch.
The big question was, who would close with Craig Kimbrel left off the postseason roster. Chris Martin answered the call. In the top of the ninth Martin got Bell and Myers to ground out, and after allowing a single to Cronenworth got Kim to fly to left to end the game. The Dodgers secure game 1.
Urias pitched well, tossing five innings and allowing three earned on four hits while striking out six. The Dodger bullpen tossed four scoreless frames, allowing just three hits, walking one and punching out four. The bats may have vanished after the third inning, but Trea and Will Smith both had two hits each. Muncy notched a hit, drove in a run, walked and scored, while Lux drove in a run as well. It was a little closer than it should have been, but the Dodgers tightroped away with a victory. The Dodgers will look to go up 2-0 on Wednesday night. Clayton Kershaw will take the mound for the Dodgers as the Padres give the ball to Yu Darvish. 10 more wins Dodger fam! Screw you Machado!
Shoutout to my fellow family and Floridian Dodger fans Eddie Frencher, Kyle, Robert and Jeff Dion! Those guys are true blue Dodger fans! Big shout to my wife Yedda for being by my side for so many postseason games over the years.
