LOS ANGELES — The last two teams left standing west of the Missouri River will hunker down along the Pacific Ocean over the next week amid anything but a serene setting.
The MLB-best Los Angeles Dodgers will take on the San Diego Padres, the top team since the All-Star break, when a fiery National League Division Series matchup begins Saturday.
When the Dodgers clinched their playoff spot with a rousing 20-run victory Sept. 19 on the road against the Miami Marlins, the day was better known for Shohei Ohtani having one of the best games in MLB history.
Ohtani punched his ticket to his first ever playoff appearance with six hits, three home runs, two stolen bases and 10 RBIs. If that wasn’t enough, the effort gave the Dodgers’ star the first ever 50-homer, 50-steals season in MLB history.
“It’s always been my childhood dream to be able to be in an important situation, to play in important games.” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton, explaining why he has a sense of calm on the eve of his first playoff appearance. “I think the excitement of that is greater than anything else that I could possibly feel.”
While Ohtani and the New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge are the postseason’s must-see players, the Padres are a must-see team with a 43-20 record since the All-Star break, as well as a series sweep of the Atlanta Braves in the wild-card round.
The Padres finished second to the 98-64 Dodgers in the NL West, but do not exude the little-brother vibe. San Diego went 8-5 against the Dodgers, the first time they have won the season series against their rival since 2010.
“We’ve been winning a lot of games against the Dodgers already and we’re prepared,” said the Padres’ Jurickson Profar, who had the best season of his lengthy career with a .280 batting average, 24 home runs and 85 RBIs.
There has been recent playoff success as well, with a 3-1 series win over the Dodgers in the 2022 NLDS.
The Padres will send right-hander Dylan Cease to the mound in Saturday’s series opener. Cease went 14-11 with a 3.47 ERA in the regular season and 1-0 with a 3.38 ERA in two starts against the Dodgers.
Amid Ohtani’s historic season, he batted .326 with a .922 OPS against the Padres, and he’s 4-for-15 in his career against Cease with two home runs.
“He’s a great player, he’s having an historic year, but we feel good about our plan, and the plan is just as good as the execution,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said of Cease facing Ohtani.
While Ohtani has been the picture of health after elbow surgery in advance of his massive 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers, other key parts of the roster have been hobbled.
With Tyler Glasnow and Clayton Kershaw injured, right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto will start in Game 1 after appearing in just four games following a three-month absence because of a shoulder injury. Yamamoto went 7-2 with a 3.00 ERA in 18 starts in his debut MLB season.
In his major league debut March 21 in South Korea, Yamamoto was torched with five runs against the Padres in just one inning. In another start against San Diego on April 12, he gave up three runs over five innings of a no-decision.
Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman hasn’t played since Sept. 26 because of an ankle injury. It happened one day after starting shortstop Miguel Rojas came away with a groin injury. Both veterans intend to play in the series but are not expected to be at 100 percent.
“I think unfinished business is something that resonates with our guys,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I talk about it, but we’ve got to go out there and be about it. … It’s an edgy group right now, which I think is a good thing.”
–Doug Padilla, Field Level Media
