The Los Angeles Dodgers immediately erased any concern over potential rust setting in due to having five days off after the regular season but needed to hang on as they opened the National League Division Series with a 5-3 win over the San Diego Padres.
Trea Turner started the scoring in Game 1 with a rocket of a solo home run in the bottom of the first inning that carried halfway up the pavilion in left field. It was just the second postseason home run of Turner’s career, and first with the Dodgers.
Mike Clevinger nearly managed to limit the damage, but Will Smith’s two-out double was followed by Max Muncy beating the shift with an RBI single.
The Dodgers added onto their lead in the third inning behind doubles from Turner and Smith. That gave Turner his first career postseason game with multiple extra-base hits.
Gavin Lux’s two-out RBI double chased Clevinger from the game, and Cody Bellinger put the Dodgers up 5-0 when his roller to first base was booted by Wil Myers. All six of the Dodgers’ hits in the game were against Clevinger.
Although the error allowed the Dodgers to extend their comfortable lead, missed opportunities against Clevinger kept the Padres in the game until their lineup began to find success against Julio Urías.
Starting Game 1 of a series for the first time, Urías held San Diego without a baserunner until Austin Nola’s two-out double in the third inning. Urías stranded that and retired the side in order in the fourth.
Myers led off the fifth inning with a home run, and it was followed by a base hit and double. Situational hitting brought home two more runs before Urías could get through what wound up being his final inning.
A likely indicator of what’s to come throughout the postseason, Evan Phillips was called on in a high-leverage situation. He walked Juan Soto to begin the seventh inning and gave up an infield single to Manny Machado.
Phillips wiggled his way out of the jam behind a strikeout and Gavin Lux ranging to his left for the start of an inning-ending double play.
Alex Vesia pitched 1.2 innings, and Brusdar Graterol retired Machado to end the eighth. He was aided by a strong gust of wind pushing Machado’s fly ball back into the field of play for a relatively routine out. The Dodgers’ first save opportunity of the postseason went to Chris Martin, who stranded a two-out single.
Manager Dave Roberts explained before the game that Craig Kimbrel did not make the Dodgers’ NLDS roster due to his inconsistency this season.
Clayton Kershaw next up for Dodgers
With a Game 1 victory to build on, the Dodgers now turn to Clayton Kershaw as they look to take a firm hold of the NLDS. The Padres are countering with Yu Darvish.
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