The Dodgers opened their five game National League division series on Saturday night against the San Diego Padres without franchise ace Clayton Kershaw. The club announced before the game that Kershaw would not pitch again due to his toe injury. The Dodgers may not have Kershaw this postseason but they do have Shohei Ohtani, and the Dodger’s super star DH smashed a game-tying three-run home run in the second inning in his first postseason game that changed the momentum of the opening contest. Ohtani’s blast lifted the Dodgers to a 7-5 win, and a 1-0 series lead.
It wasn’t just Ohtani though, the rest of the club came up clutch. Ohtani led the way, but everyone else came up big. Freddie Freeman notched two hits and stole a base while playing on a bum ankle. Teoscar Hernandez’s two-run single in the bottom of the fourth put the Dodgers ahead, and they never trailed the rest of the way. Mookie Betts drew three walks, Gavin Lux and Tommy Edman were both 2 for 4, and Miguel Rojas had a clutch hit in that bottom of the third to extend the inning for Ohtani.
It wasn’t just the bats that came up gold. The bullpen picked up struggling starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The Japanese right hander got the start when the Dodgers announced that they would switch him and Jack Flaherty. Yamamoto lasted just three innings, but the bullpen (Ryan Brasier, Alex Vesia, Evan Phillips, Michael Kopech and Blake Treinen) tossed 6 shutout innings allowing just one hit and striking out 7 to secure the Dodgers win in game 1.
The Padres came out of the gate swinging scoring three runs before the chairs were warm and putting the Dodgers in an early hole with three runs in the top of the first inning. A Luis Arreaz single, passed ball, wild pitch, Jurickson Profar grounder and a two-run home from Manny Machado gave San Diego a 3-0 lead. The Dodgers figured out opposing starter Dylan Cease in the beginning frames. In the bottom of the second Will Smith walked, Gavin Lux singled to center and after Cease retired Tommy Edman and Miguel Rojas, Ohtani came to the plate representing the tying run. The Padres should have walked him, but they didn’t and Ohtani blasted a magnificent three-run home run into the right field pavilions that tied the game and sent Dodger Stadium into pandemonium.
WELCOME TO THE POSTSEASON, SHOHEI OHTANI. pic.twitter.com/ouDvzwwj6O
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 6, 2024
The Padres struck back in the top of the third. Fernando Tatis Jr. doubled to center thanks to Edman misplaying the bounce. Two outs later Jackson Merrill walked and Xander Bogaerts doubled down the left field line to plate two and the Padres retook the lead 5-3.
The Dodgers chipped away in the following innings. Freddie Freeman singled and stole second on his bad ankle in the third. That guy is a true warrior. The Dodgers didn’t score that inning, instead they waited until the bottom of the fourth. Edman’s bunt single preceded Miguel Rojas’s line drive single to put two on with one out for Ohtani. The Padres made a pitching change, bringing in Andre Morejan to replace Cease which didn’t work out so well. Ohtani’s flare single to center loaded the bases, and a wild pitch scored Edman to close the gap to 5-4.
San Diego intentionally walked Mookie before cutting down a runner at the plate. There was another pitching change, then Teoscar’s bloop single to center deflected off of Merrill’s glove to plate Ohtani and Mookie putting the Dodgers ahead 6-5. The Padres continued to play sloppy defense in the following frame. Will Smith reached on a throwing error by Machado and eventually scored after a clutch Lux single and a ground ball double play from Edman. That made the score 7-5 Dodgers.
The @Dodgers lead! #NLDS pic.twitter.com/XeOACxyxj2
— MLB (@MLB) October 6, 2024
The score stayed that way the rest of the game thanks to the Dodger’s bullpen. The Padres threatened in the eighth and ninth innings. They loaded the bases in the top of the eighth. Blake Treinen saved Kopech and the Dodgers bacon by striking out Donavon Solano to end the eighth inning. Blake came out for the ninth and despite giving us a mini-heart attack struck out Machado with two runners on to end the game.
Finish it, Blake! pic.twitter.com/2I3OZ7Eypu
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 6, 2024
The Dodgers scored seven runs on ten hits and were 4 for 16 with runners in scoring position. All of their runs were plated in the beginning of the game. They scored three in the second, three more in the fourth, and another in the fifth. While you’re celebrating the Dodgers win, commemorate Ohtani’s first postseason home run by purchasing an Ohtani Playoff Bobblehead.
The Series continues Sunday night at Dodger Stadium. Former Dodger Yu Darvish draws Jack Flaherty as the Dodgers look to take a 2-0 series lead. The Dodgers may not have much starting pitching this year, but they got Ohtani, a great lineup and a fantastic bullpen. Let’s hope that’s enough for a parade in November.
Huge win for the Dodgers. A very gutsy performance. Still striking out too much and stranding too many runners. But I’ll take it.