How’s the gaslamp quarter doing after tonight’s NLDS game 5? It’s probably quiet as a mouse. How’s Los Angeles doing after tonight’s NLDS game 5 between the Dodgers and Padres? Pretty darn good. That’s because the Dodgers silenced the Padres and their trash talking with a 2-0 win at Dodger Stadium on Friday night to clinch the NLDS and advance to the franchise’s 16th NLCS appearance. The Dodgers got an impressive performance from starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto as he blanked the Padres with five scoreless innings. The bats provided two big hits. Clutch Kiké returned with a moonshot home run in the bottom of the second and October man Teoscar Hernandez added an insurance run with a huge seventh inning home run off of Yu Darvish. The Bullpen took it the rest of the way. The Dodgers finally vanquished those nasty Padres.
Before the Dodgers and Padres played game 5 of the NLDS at Dodger Stadium on Friday night, the Dodgers had to figure out their pitching plans. The bullpen was fantastic during their 8-0 win over the Padres in game 4 on Wednesday night, tossing nine shutout innings to help the Dodgers force a game 5. But the Dodgers can’t do bullpen games every night. The Dodgers tabbed Yoshinobu Yamamoto to start game 5. They thought he was tipping his pitches when he lasted only three innings in their game 2 loss. So they worked with him and ironed out his mechanics. Whatever they did worked, because Yoshi was fantastic, working five shutout frames, and allowing just two hits during the Dodgers 2-0 win to clinch the division series. The bullpen only had to cover four innings and they were dominant once again. The Dodgers have now pitched 24 consecutive scoreless innings.
While the opposing starter, old frenemy Yu Darvish was stingy as usual, the Dodgers got to him. Enrique Hernandez’s massive blast into the left field pavilion in the bottom of the second put the Dodgers on the board with a 1-0 lead. Teoscar added another with a monster seventh inning blast deep into the left field pavilions. Those two blasts were enough. Throughout it all, the Dodgers persevered. Despite all of the injuries, the pitching problems, the drama and the bad blood in this series, the Dodgers never gave up. Now they are playing for the pennant. This was an incredibly satisfying win.
KIKÉ KNEW. pic.twitter.com/rFcSbEmdPb
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 12, 2024
The Padres talked a lot of trash during this series, and they were one tough opponent. The Dodgers had to bring their A-game to win this series and change their postseason narrative. The Padres danced. They taunted. They teased, provoked and insulted Dodger fans, and they got exactly what they deserved. The Padres play with a lot of energy and they are very good. One of these years they’re going to finally break through and win it. Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. are too good not too. A.J. Preller is too saavy. Yu Darvish is too tough. One of these days the Padres will win it all, and when that happens it will be horrible. But not now. Not tonight. Not this season, not this year. All of those jerks will retreat to the golf courses for the winter.
TEOOOOOOOOO! pic.twitter.com/3ndW9snTX5
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 12, 2024
Clinching in front of the best fans in baseball. pic.twitter.com/QDxJYyTZm1
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 12, 2024
Now the Dodgers will welcome the New York Mets as the National League championship series begins on Sunday night. Nothing is perfect. The Dodgers still have some issues. Alex Vesia suffered some kind of cramp, or oblique injury while warming up to start the eighth inning. The rotation is still paper thin and Freddie Freeman’s ankle is hanging by a thread. But none of that matters right now. That’s because the Dodgers did it. They vanquished those disgusting Padres and advanced to the NLCS. Enjoy this win. Drink it. Mix it into your coffee in the morning. Chew on it. Sleep with it under your pillow. Shower in it, and inject it into your veins. The Dodgers are in the NLCS. Let the celebration begin!
