The Los Angeles Dodgers are headed back to the National League Championship Series for the first time in three years after defeating the San Diego Padres 2-0 in Game 5 of the NL Division Series. Kiké Hernández provided the Dodgers’ first run with a home run in the second inning off Padres pitcher Yu Darvish, followed by a seventh-inning homer from Teoscar Hernández, which sealed the victory.
Yu Darvish put forth a commendable effort, pitching 6 2/3 innings and allowing only two runs on three hits while striking out four batters. However, the lack of offensive support from his team was evident, as the Padres failed to score throughout the game.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto delivered a strong performance as the Dodgers’ starting pitcher, throwing five scoreless innings and giving up just two hits with two strikeouts. Manager Dave Roberts expressed that he hoped for at least four innings from Yamamoto, marking a significant improvement over his performance in Game 1.
The Padres ended the NLDS with a frustrating 24-inning scoreless streak, their last run coming from a Fernando Tatis Jr. homer in the second inning of Game 3. In Game 5, Tatis went 0-for-4, while teammates Jurickson Profar, Manny Machado, and Jackson Merrill also struggled at the plate, contributing to a total of just two hits for the team. The Dodgers’ bullpen further solidified the shutout by pitching four hitless innings in relief.
Next, the Dodgers will face the New York Mets in Game 1 of the NLCS, following the Mets’ victory over the Philadelphia Phillies in their own NLDS matchup. The series will begin on Sunday at 8:15 p.m. ET, bringing back memories of the 1988 NLCS, where the Dodgers triumphed over the Mets in seven games before claiming the World Series title.