2024 NLDS: The Dodgers fight with their backs against the wall, winning an intense series over the Padres in 5 games

NLDS Game 1: Shohei shines in Postseason debut, Teo comes through in the clutch, bullpen is stellar, as Dodgers win thriller over the Padres (LAD leads 1-0), 10/5/24

SD 5 – LAD 7, W (LAD leads 1-0): Shohei Ohtani shined in his Postseason debut, as the Dodgers battled from behind, grinding out a huge, Game 1 victory! Game 1 got off to the worst possible start for LA, giving Dodger fans flashbacks from 2023. Yoshinobu Yamamoto struggled in his Postseason debut, looking as if the pressure got to him. Luis Arraez led the game off with a single and advanced to 2nd and 3rd on a passed ball and wild pitch. Then Fernando Tatis Jr. walked to put runners on the corners with no outs. Jurickson Profar grounded to 2nd on a fielder’s choice, getting the Padres on the board first. Then, Manny Machado came up and demolished a 2 run home run to give the Padres a 3 run lead. It was as if all of the energy was sucked out of the stadium. But unlike the past two postseasons, the Dodgers battled back. In the 2nd, Will Smith walked and Gavin Lux singled. With runners on 1st and 2nd with 2 outs, Shohei delivered on the biggest stage, launching a game-tying, 3 run, home run! But Yamamoto gave the lead right back in the 3rd. Xander Bogaerts doubled in 2 runs to put San Diego back on top in the 3rd. Yamamoto allowed 5 runs over 3 innings, in an underwhelming outing for the Japanese pitcher. LA’s offense was still figuring things out, going 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position in the first 3 innings. But the Dodgers didn’t fold. The bullpen kept LA in the game and the Dodgers offense started to pick it up. The bottom of the lineup played small-ball, doing whatever they could to get on base to set the table for the top of the order. Tommy Edman bunted for a single and Miguel Rojas singled to take Dylan Cease out of the game. The Dodgers put together plenty of quality at-bats, knocking Cease out of the game, going just 3 and ⅓ innings. Then, it was a battle of the bullpens. Shohei came up and singled to load the bases for Mookie Betts. Then, Adrian Morejon threw a wild pitch, allowing Edman to score, making it a 1 run game. Then, Betts was intentionally walked. Teoscar Hernandez came up with the bases loaded, and came through in the big moment once again, lining a go-ahead, 2 run single, giving the Dodgers the lead! The Dodgers bullpen locked down the Padres offense. Ryan Brasier, Alex Vesia, and Evan Phillips combined for 4 scoreless innings with 3 strikeouts. But the Padres made things interesting in the 8th. Michael Kopech struggled, walking 2 of the 3 batters he faced. Then, Dave Roberts turned to Blake Treinen. Treinen got Bogaerts to pop out for the 2nd out, but walked Jake Cronenworth to load the bases. But Treinen found a way to get out of the jam, striking out Donovan Solano to preserve LA’s 2 run lead. Treinen came back out in the 9th to close out the game. Treinen got the first 2 outs quickly, striking out Elias Diaz and getting help on a diving play from Gavin Lux but the Padres put more traffic on the bases. Tatis singled and Profar walked to put the go-ahead run at the plate with Manny Machado up. Treinen and Machado battled, but Treinen got the last laugh, striking out Machado on a nasty slider to secure the win! Treinen threw 39 pitches, doing everything he could to secure the win for LA. It was the Dodgers first Postseason win in 2 years, going back to the Game 1 victory in 2022. LA will look to put the Padres on the brink of elimination if they can win Game 2. Game 1 – 10/5/24

NLDS Game 2: Flaherty struggles, Profar robs Betts of HR, Tatis trolls Dodger fans, as things get chippy between LA and San Diego, (Series tied 1-1), 10/6/24

SD 10 – LAD 2, L (Series tied 1-1): Jack Flaherty wasn’t sharp in his first Postseason start as a Dodger, as the Padres roughed him up in the early innings. Fernando Tatis Jr. launched a home run into the Dodger bullpen in the 1st to give San Diego the early lead. In the bottom of the inning, Mookie Betts connected on what looked like a home run, but was robbed by Jurickson Profar, who reached 3 rows into the seats and managed to make an impossible catch. The Padres continued to pour it on as this one snowballed on the Dodgers. In the 2nd, former Dodger, David Peralta, crushed a 2 run homer to make it 3-0. LA scored on a sac-fly from Gavin Lux in the 2nd but that run ended up being irrelevant. But the Padres kept on pouring it on. Padres rookie, Jackson Merrill drove in a run in the 6th on a single. Then, things started to get out of hand. Jack Flaherty and Manny Machado jawed back and forth following Flaherty’s K of Machado. Flaherty said after the game that Machado threw his warm-up ball into the Dodgers dugout, and video eventually showed that it was aimed at Dodgers manager, Dave Roberts. A very disrespectful move by Machado. Then, before the bottom of the 7th, Dodger fans started to lose it, throwing balls at Jurickson Profar in left field. Profar was visibly upset, and rightfully so. Fernando Tatis was taunting the fans in right, making fake tears and dancing in the outfield. Fans threw drinks and other things at him as well as the Padres bullpen. The game was delayed for 11 minutes, and the Padres outfielders had to be escorted by security, to make sure they were safe to continue the game. Then, the floodgates opened for San Diego. Merrill and Xander Bogaerts launched home runs in the 8th, and Kyle Higashioka and Fernando Tatis launched a home run each in the 9th. It was Tatis’s 2nd home run of the game. Max Muncy did hit a home run in the 9th, but LA lost this one in embarrassing fashion, 10-2. The Dodgers will have to turn the page quickly with Game 3 on the horizon following a day off tomorrow. Game 2 – 10/6/24

NLDS Game 3: Defensive woes cost Dodgers in Game 3, as Tatis and the Padres put Dodgers on the brink of elimination, (SD leads 2-1), 10/8/24 

LAD 5 – SD 6, L (SD leads 2-1): The Dodgers fell just short of pulling off an incredible comeback as the Padres took advantage of poor defense to put LA on the brink of elimination. The game started off on the right note for LA. Mookie Betts finally broke through, launching a solo home run in the 1st, in an almost identical replay of Game 2. Profar was just out of reach from robbing Mookie Betts of a home run again in the 1st. But the early lead quickly vanished in the 2nd. The Padres started the bottom of the inning with a few weak ground balls, which the Dodgers were unable to complete. Machado started the inning off with a single. Then, Machado made a very smart move. When Merrill hit a grounder to 1st, Machado got in the throwing path of Freddie’s throw to 2nd, turning a double-play into runners on 1st and 3rd with no outs, as the ball skipped into the outfield after hitting off Machado’s back. The very next play, Xander Bogaerts grounded into what looked to be another double play, but shortstop Miguel Rojas made a mental error, trying to step on the bag at 2nd and then throw to 1st, instead of tossing to 2nd, as he ended up not recording an out. The Padres also scored on the play. Rojas has been playing with an adductor tear and was visibly seen in pain, not being able to cover his position well. Rojas left with the injury after rounding 3rd in the 3rd inning. David Peralta hit one down the line as the Padres scored 2 more. Jake Cronenworth singled to move Peralta over to 3rd and Higashioka brought him home on a sac-fly. The floodgates opened for the Padres as Fernando Tatis launched another home run, sending Petco Park into a frenzy. Just like that, the Dodgers found themselves down 6 to 1 in the 2nd. Buehler finally got out of it and was visibly frustrated in the dugout. But the Dodgers made things interesting in the next inning. In the 3rd, Rojas, Ohtani, and Betts led off the inning with singles, loading the bases with no out. Although Freddie couldn’t come through, Teo did. Like he has done all year long, Teoscar came through again when it mattered most, launching a grand slam to cut the lead to 1, making it a brand new ballgame. However, that was all the offense LA would get for the rest of the night. The Dodgers managed to get just 1 hit over the next 6 innings as the bats went cold. The Dodgers pitchers gave them a chance to win, but LA didn’t cease the opportunity. Buehler went back out and pitched 3 scoreless innings, and the bullpen combined for 3 more scoreless frames. The Dodgers are now in a must win situation tomorrow, and will be fighting for their lives to keep their season alive in Game 4. Game 3 – 10/8/24

NLDS Game 4: Mookie Betts is back, Dodgers bullpen is lights out, offense clicks as LA staves off elimination to force win-or-go-home Game 5 (Series tied 2-2), 10/9/24

LAD 8 – SD 0, W (Series tied 2-2): With their backs against the wall, the Dodgers came through with a to stave off elimination with a huge win in San Diego. The Dodgers were going into this game shorthanded, playing without Freddie Freeman and Miguel Rojas. The Padres elected to go with Dylan Cease on short rest, to try to end LA’s season. With the season on the line, Mookie Betts homered in the 1st for the 2nd consecutive night, kickstarting the Dodger offense and giving the Dodgers an early lead, making the 0 for 22 skid a distant memory. Dave Roberts elected to go with a bullpen game and the plan went to perfection. Ryan Brasier served as the opener and pitched a shutdown inning. But the offense was just getting started for LA. Lux walked and Kike singled to get runners on the corners with 2 away, and the Dodgers stars delivered. Shohei and Mookie both singled in a run as the Dodgers tacked on a pair of runs on the board to make it 3-0. The Dodgers had already knocked Dylan Cease out of the game, failing to complete 2 innings on short rest. Brasier retired Machado before being pulled out for Anthony Banda. Banda followed with a strikeout, retiring 2 Padres to keep the momentum on LA’s side. Max Muncy led off the 3rd with a double and Will Smith launched a 2 run home run to dead center to make it a 5 run lead. Smith’s home run was the longest home run hit by a player this Postseason. Michael Kopech pitched in the 3rd, giving the Dodgers another shutdown inning, striking out 1. The bullpen kept the Padres off the board, executing pitches with the 5 run cushion. Alex Vesia pitched 1 and ⅔ scoreless innings with 2 strikeouts and Evan Phillips pitched 1 and ⅓ scoreless innings, as the Dodgers were just 9 outs away from forcing a game 5. Then, the Dodgers this one open in the 7th. Max Muncy reached on a hit-by-pitch and Will Smith reached on a throwing error from Xander Bogaerts, allowing Muncy to advance to 3rd. Tommy Edman did a safety-squeeze, laying down a perfect bunt to move the runner over to 2nd and allow Muncy to score. Following a pitching change, Gavin Lux launched a 2 run home run, his 1st since late August to give the Dodgers an 8 run lead! Hudson, Treinen, and Knack finished off a stellar performance for LA’s pitching staff. The bullpen pitched a combined shutout, with 8 strikeouts against a contact-heavy Padres offense. With an impressive performance from the pitching staff and a dominant performance from the offense, the Dodgers have forced a win-or-go-home game 5. Game 4 – 10/9/24

NLDS Game 5: The Dodgers eliminate the Padres behind a massive performance from the pitching staff, home runs from Kike and Teoscar Hernandez (LAD wins 3-2), 10/11/24

 SD 0 – LAD 2, W (LAD wins 3-2): Yoshinobu Yamamoto set the tone for LA as the Dodgers humbled the Padres, eliminating San Diego with a dominant performance by the pitching staff in Dame 5. Dave Roberts had multiple options he could’ve gone with to start Game 5, but he went with the pitcher who got the most lucrative deal for a starting pitcher in MLB history in Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and it paid off. Yamamoto’s outing started with a 1-2-3 inning in the 1st, which was huge in terms of his confidence. The defense was very strong behind Yamamoto, turning a huge double play in the 3rd after the Padres put together runners on 1st and 2nd with 1 out. Meanwhile, Kike Hernandez continued to add to his Postseason pedigree, showing how some players just know what it takes to deliver in the Postseason, starting the scoring with a solo home run in the 2nd. Yamamoto continued to hold it down, capping off a stellar start in his second outing in the Postseason, finishing his night with 5 scoreless frames with 2 strikeouts. Dave Roberts pushed all the right buttons the rest of the way, deploying each of his high leverage arms perfectly. Evan Phillips came in and pitched 1 and ⅔ innings with 3 strikeouts. Then, Alex Vesia was brought in. and struck out Jackson Merrill. In the bottom of the 7th, Teoscar Hernandez launched a no-doubt home run, giving the Dodgers a huge insurance run, to make it a 2-run lead. Teoscar has continued to show up in big moments for LA all season and may have shifted the momentum of this series with the grand slam he hit in Game 3. Then Michael Kopech came into the game in the 8th and pitched a scoreless inning with a strikeout. Blake Treinen came in and got the save, getting Tatis to ground out to 3rd to end the game, as the Dodgers knocked out the Padres in Game 5! Following the 6-run 3rd in Game 3, the Dodgers pitching staff didn’t allow a single run since, combining for 24 consecutive scoreless innings! The Dodgers will now face a hot New York Mets team in the NLCS, fresh off eliminating one of the best teams in baseball in the Philles, marking the first time since 2021 that the Dodgers made it to the Championship Series. LA will get a much-needed day off before getting down to business for Game 1 on Sunday. Game 5 – 10/11/24