In a historic playoff duel between two of Japan’s finest pitchers, Yoshinobu Yamamoto outpitched Yu Darvish as the Los Angeles Dodgers advanced to the National League Championship Series with a 2-0 win over the San Diego Padres on Friday. The Dodgers got home runs from Kiké Hernández and Teoscar Hernández to secure the victory in Game 5 of the National League Division Series (NLDS).
Yamamoto, a 26-year-old rookie, allowed just two hits over five innings before being pulled after 63 pitches. In a matchup between fierce NL West rivals meeting for the third time in a Division Series over the last five years, the young right-hander rose to the occasion. His composure and effectiveness helped the Dodgers claim the decisive Game 5 and move forward in their quest for a World Series title.
With this win, the Dodgers advance to face the wild-card New York Mets in the best-of-seven National League Championship Series (NLCS), which starts Sunday night in Los Angeles. For the Dodgers, it’s a return to familiar territory, as they have consistently been among baseball’s elite teams in recent years. This time, they are armed with the best regular-season record in Major League Baseball at 98-64, having successfully avoided a third straight NLDS elimination.
The Dodgers’ Game 5 victory marked the first time since 1981 that they won a decisive fifth game at home. In that year, they took the NL Division Series against the Houston Astros in a season split into halves due to a players’ strike. This time around, the stakes were equally high, but the Dodgers were prepared to deliver in front of a roaring home crowd.
Kiké Hernández, a playoff veteran for the Dodgers, continued his October heroics with a solo home run in the second inning. Hernández, making his eighth postseason appearance with Los Angeles, was asked during a post-game interview what made this Dodgers team special. His response caused quite a stir, but the veteran utility player’s performance on the field was equally noteworthy.
The Padres, despite their talent-packed roster, couldn’t muster any offense when it mattered most. San Diego’s big hitters, including Fernando Tatis Jr., Jurickson Profar, Manny Machado, and three-time batting champion Luis Arraez, combined for a meager 1-for-14 performance in Game 5. The Padres’ offense went silent for the final 24 innings of the series, leaving their hopes of advancing dashed after losing the last two games at Dodger Stadium.
Yamamoto’s outing, which featured him becoming the fifth rookie in Dodgers history to start a winner-take-all game, was complemented by a stellar performance from the bullpen. After Yamamoto handed the ball over, Evan Phillips stepped in and delivered five crucial outs, including strikeouts of Profar and Machado. In the seventh inning, Alex Vesia came on to retire rookie sensation Jackson Merrill, preserving the Dodgers’ narrow lead.
A tense moment came when Vesia warmed up for the eighth inning but was forced to exit with an apparent injury. In his place, Michael Kopech stepped in and worked a perfect inning, setting the stage for Blake Treinen to close out the game. Treinen, ever reliable in high-pressure situations, recorded three quick outs in the ninth, earning his second save of the series and securing the Dodgers’ victory.
The final out came on a ground ball hit by Tatis Jr., which Kiké Hernández fielded at third base after shifting from his usual center-field position for the ninth inning. It was a fitting conclusion to a game in which Hernández’s bat and defensive versatility proved invaluable.
Yu Darvish, the Padres’ veteran ace and a childhood idol of Shohei Ohtani, pitched admirably despite the loss. The 38-year-old right-hander allowed just three hits and two runs over six and two-thirds innings, striking out four and walking only one. After giving up the early home run to Kiké Hernández, Darvish settled into a groove, retiring 14 consecutive batters before Teoscar Hernández took him deep in the seventh to extend the Dodgers’ lead to 2-0.
The game was a historic showdown, as it marked the first time two Japanese-born starting pitchers faced off in a major league playoff game. Yamamoto and Darvish, both celebrated in their home country, carried the hopes of their teams and their nation’s baseball fans into this high-stakes encounter. For Yamamoto, the win was a statement that he is ready for the big moments, while Darvish, despite the loss, showcased his veteran poise and mastery on the mound.
Ohtani, who had starred for the Dodgers earlier in the series with a game-tying three-run homer in Game 1, was largely quiet in this finale. The two-way superstar, who made history during the regular season by becoming the first player ever to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in the same year, struggled at the plate against his former teammate. Ohtani struck out three times, including twice against Darvish, in a game watched intently by fans in Japan on Saturday morning.
The winner-take-all Game 5, which drew a sellout crowd of 53,183 at Dodger Stadium, turned into a classic pitcher’s duel. The Padres and Dodgers combined to retire 26 consecutive batters at one point, the longest streak in a single postseason game in MLB history. The tension in the ballpark was palpable, with stars like LeBron James, Brad Pitt, Rob Lowe, Bryan Cranston, and Jimmy Kimmel in attendance to witness the showdown.
The Padres’ offensive drought extended from the second inning of Game 3 until the end of Game 5. Despite their firepower, San Diego was unable to generate the runs needed to keep pace with the Dodgers in this crucial game. Their season ended with a disappointing thud, having fallen short of their World Series aspirations.
On the defensive side, the Dodgers’ All-Star first baseman Freddie Freeman played through a sprained ankle, which caused him to miss Game 4. Freeman’s presence at first base was critical, as Yamamoto successfully covered first on three groundouts, helping to minimize the Padres’ offensive threats.
For the Dodgers, Kiké Hernández’s second-inning home run gave them the lead they would never relinquish. It was the 14th career postseason homer for Hernández, whose knack for delivering in October made him a key figure in the Dodgers’ playoff success this year. Hernández, known for his charismatic personality, may have raised eyebrows with his comments after the game, but his on-field contributions were undeniable.
With the NLDS behind them, the Dodgers now set their sights on the NLCS, where they will face the wild-card New York Mets. The Dodgers are determined to build on their stellar regular-season performance and push towards another World Series appearance, knowing that the road ahead only gets tougher from here.
