Dodgers hold off Padres to advance to NLCS
LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles Dodgers have finally slayed the dragon. After being bounced in the National League Division Series in back-to-back seasons, the Dodgers took down their hated division rivals, the San Diego Padres, in the win-or-go-home Game 5 on Friday night.
With the 2-0 Game 5 win, the Dodgers punched a ticket to the National League Championship (NLCS) series against the New York Mets. The Mets clinched the NLCS after taking down the Philadelphia Phillies in four games.
The Dodgers drew first blood after Kiké Hernández blasted a solo homer to the left field pavilion to give Los Angeles a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Dodgers' Yoshinobu Yamamoto threw five scoreless innings on the mound – which served as a bounce-back performance after the Japanese ace had a brutal showing in Game 1 after giving up five earned runs in three innings.
Dodgers' Teoscar Hernández gave the Dodgers a much-needed insurance run in the bottom of the seventh with a solo shot to left field.
The Dodgers bullpen, a unit credited for keeping the Boys in Blue's season alive in Game 4, once again killed off any Padres' hope for a late rally as relievers Evan Phillips, Alex Vesia, Michael Kopech and Blake Treinen combined for four scoreless innings in the Game 5 win.
While the Dodgers' main mission is to win the World Series, the NLDS victory is a massive step forward from their recent postseason woes. Prior to winning Game 1 against the Padres, the Dodgers were on a 6-game playoff losing streak, dating back to the 2022 NLDS loss to the Padres and then a 3-game sweep that followed against the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2023.
HOW THEY GOT HERE
The Dodgers secured the first-round bye and a spot in the NLDS after finishing the 2024 regular season with a 98-64 record.
Should the Dodgers take care of business in the division series, the Boys in Blue are guaranteed home-field advantage for the NLCS and – knock on wood – can also host games 1, 2, 5 and 7 of the World Series, if they get that far.
The Padres punched their ticket to the NLDS after sweeping the Atlanta Braves in the wildcard round. San Diego got into the postseason after finishing the regular season with a 93-69 record.