LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani rewrote the record books during his first season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Now, he is giving himself the opportunity to make more history, in his long-awaited debut in the playoffs.
Ohtani hit a three-run homer, Teoscar Hernández added a two-run single to give Los Angeles its first lead in a playoff game in two years, and the Dodgers beat the San Diego Padres 7-5 on Saturday. start the National League Division Series.
“It’s been crazy how good he is with runners in scoring position,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, referring to Ohtani. “When you get those opportunities, you feel like you’re going to take advantage of them.”
Manny Machado’s two-run homer off Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto, another Japanese player making his first playoff appearance, put Los Angeles down early 3-0.
Ohtani quickly rescued the Dodgers with his two-out home run that tied the score 3-3 in the second inning.
The Asian star found a 2-1 pitch from Dylan Cease and sent the ball across the right field, 372 feet from home plate. Virtually all of the 53,028 spectators stood up, including actors Brad Pitt and Rob Lowe.
“I could really feel the intensity of the stadium before the game started, and I enjoyed it,” said Ohtani, who went 2 for 5 with three RBIs, two runs scored and a pair of strikeouts, watched by Sandy Koufax. 88 years old and pitcher elected to the Hall of Fame. “It was very exciting.”
San Diego took a 5-3 lead before the Dodgers rallied with three runs in the fourth inning.
“We didn’t close the door,” said Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. “They made it out alive. We better outrace them. We have to find a way to make this happen, no matter what it takes.”
It was the Dodgers’ first lead in a postseason game since the seventh inning of Game 4 against the Padres in the 2022 National League Championship Series. Los Angeles was swept by Arizona in a Division Series last year.
San Diego also put the potential tying runs in scoring position in the eighth, but the Dodgers ended the threat.
Japanese Yu Darvish starts the second game this Sunday for San Diego, against his previous team. The Dodgers will start right-hander Jack Flaherty, who grew up in the area and attended Dodger Stadium as a child, on the mound.
For the Padres, Venezuelans Luis Arráez 5-1 with one scored, David Peralta 1-0, Elías Díaz 1-0. The Dominicans Tatis Jr. 4-2 with two runs scored, Machado 5-1 with one run scored and two RBIs. Colombian Donovan Solano 4-0.
For the Dodgers, Dominican Hernández was 1-for-4 with two RBIs. Venezuelan Miguel Rojas 4-1.
