The Los Angeles Dodgers spent the past week collectively touting increased intensity in their workouts and manager Dave Roberts consistently spoke of his team having an edge to them heading into the National League Division Series against the San Diego Padres.
Roberts also implored the Dodgers to deliver a proverbial first punch in Game 1, but that instead was landed by the Padres.
Led in part by Shohei Ohtani’s first postseason home run, the Dodgers responded for a 7-5 comeback win.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto labored through just three innings in his postseason debut. He was particularly shaky in the opening frame, which was 28 pitches and included a passed ball and wild pitch.
Manny Machado lifted a well-located splitter for a two-run home run that extended the Padres’ lead to 3-0 before Yamamoto could get through the first inning. He pitched well in the second inning, but allowed San Diego to again pull ahead as they scored two runs in the third.
Though, Teoscar Hernández could have potentially limited it to just one run if not for his sliding attempt down the left-field line coming up empty.
It nevertheless was a disappointing result for the Dodgers after Ohtani injected plenty of life into Dodger Stadium with a game-tying three-run homer in the bottom of the second.
Yamamoto’s night came to an end at five runs allowed and 60 pitches (34 strikes) over three innings.
He exited with the Dodgers trailing 5-3, though they rallied once again with the bottom of the lineup and Ohtani at the center of it.
Dylan Cease was not allowed to face Ohtani for the third time. He was removed after allowing back-to-back singles with one out. Adrian Morejon jammed Ohtani but the ball landed for a single that loaded the bases.
The Dodgers cut into their deficit on a wild pitch and later took a 6-5 lead behind Teoscar Hernández’s two-run single with two outs.
Machado’s throwing error that put Will Smith in scoring position to start the bottom of the fifth, and the Dodgers later drove him in on a productive out for a key insurance run.
Dodgers bullpen shuts door
Touted by both president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and general manager Brandon Gomes as a significant strength of the team, the Dodgers bullpen answered the bell in their first opportunity.
Ryan Brasier, Alex Vesia, Evan Phillips, Michael Kopech, and Blake Treinen combined to hold the Padres scoreless over six innings. Treinen pitched 1.2 innings to earn the save, entering to get Kopech out of a jam and going on to pitch the ninth as well.
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