Dodgers blank Padres again, advance to NLCS to face Mets
Teoscar Hernández tossing his bat after a 420-foot solo home run in the seventh inning. (photo credit: Los Angeles Dodgers)
After losing Games 2 and 3 to the Padres, the Dodgers’ offense, momentum, and hopes to advance took a nervous standstill and a familiar taste as the same outcome was closing in, losing another National League Divison Series. They allowed 16 runs, seven home runs, and generated just four runs outside of a Teoscar Hernández gram slam in those losses.
Entering an elimination Game 4, in a loud environment in Petco Park, the Dodgers shut out the Padres 8–0. It was a back-against-wall performance. Los Angeles continued their shutout into Game 5, allowing just two hits to beat the Padres 2–0 to advance to the National League Championship Series for the first time since 2021.
“We talked about this series. It was going to test us, and we fought,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “We didn’t relent, not one time, and I just couldn’t be more excited for this ballclub.”
Rookie SP Yoshinobu Yamamoto got the nod on the mound to start Game 5’s winner-take-all showdown, allowing two hits in five innings. The only hits allowed in the game. The bullpen continued their dominance, who blanked San Diego in Game 4’s bullpen game, and continued that momentum into Game 5.
It’s no secret the Dodgers bullpen has been their biggest strength in October and the reason they’re headed to the NLCS. With the injuries the team has faced to starting pitchers all season, the bullpen shining is what they need to win the whole thing.
The relievers, through four innings, allowed zero hits and retired all 12 batters, striking out five of them: RHP Evan Phillps (3 Ks) in the sixth, Alex Vesia (1 K), Michael Kopech (1 K) and Blake Treinen.
Vesia was ready to pitch his second inning in the 8th but was held out after an injury scaring warming up on his second trip to the mound.
Kike Hernández, who is no stranger to October, put L.A. on the board first with a 428-foot solo homer off Padres SP Yu Darvish in the bottom of the second. The 95 MPH fastball was blasted deep into the left field pavilion, causing pandemonium from the Dodger crowd and a sunflower shower from left fielder Teoscar.
It would be a day for the Hernández, with Teoscar’s big moment coming in the bottom seventh inning when the L.A. desperately needed insurance runs. Darvish was still on the mound with one out in a 2–1 count and a hanging slider came, followed by a loud crack and an earthquake cheering roar from Chavez Ravine.
The ball hammered reached 420 feet and came off of Teoscars bat at 108.8 MPH to extend the Dodgers lead to 2–0.
“Unbelievable Feeling,” Teoscar said on advancing. “This is why I came here, and we are here celebrating going to the National League Championship, so we got 8 more to go. It’s not done.”
Los Angeles would go on to retire the next six batters resulting to complete the shut-out for the second straight game, making them four games away from reaching the World Series and eight total from winning it all.
Next up for L.A. in the NLCS is the New York Mets, who the Dodgers have had an edge over during the regular season. During the season the Dodgers went 4–2 in six games against the Mets, winning the last four. In four straight games, L.A. has outscored New York 28–5 with a total team batting average of .304 in that span.
But of course, this is October, a month to forget about your regular season and focus on the goal. Which is what New York has done to get to the NLCS. Entering the postseason as the sixth seed with an 89–73 record, the Mets have clawed from the Wild Card, beating the Brewers, and then NLDS, taking down the two-seed Phillies.
“I haven’t been a part of as much adversity as this ballclub has had,” Roberts said. “And not one time have we made an excuse or given ourselves an out to not win 11 games in October. And that’s a credit to the character of the guys, the coaches, the front office, getting a lot of depth that we’ve had to tap into. I’ve never believed in a group of guys more than this group. I really haven’t.”
The first game of the NLCS will be on Sunday, Oct. 13, at Dodger Stadium at 5:15 p.m. PDT. The probable pitcher battle will be Dodgers SP Jack Flaherty versus Mets SP Kodai Senga.
