Saturday, October 5, 2024
Copyrighted by Sarah Morris, 2024
The Los Angeles Dodgers did better than last year’s playoffs. Yoshinobu Yamamoto didn’t have a good start when he allowed five runs in three innings. The bullpen performed brilliantly when they didn’t allow any run. Shohei Ohtani, appearing in his first major league playoffs, blasted a three-run homer, an Teoscar Hernández had a two-run single. Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman produced. The Dodgers beat the San Diego Padres 7-to-2.
Before the game, only a few people thought Freddie Freeman would play. If it was the regular season, he would have been on the IL for 4-6 weeks. However, Freeman answered the bell and had two singles and a stolen base. His determination and heart propelled his teammates to do their best.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto allowed three runs in the first.
Mookie Betts walked with an out in the first, and Freddie Freeman singled Betts to second. Teoscar Hernández grounded in a force play erasing injured Freeman. The Dodgers didn’t score.
Yamamoto retired the Padres in order in the second.
Gavin Lux singled Will Smith, who walked, to second. Tommy Edman struck out. Shohei Ohtani blasted a three-run homer.
Fernando Tatis, Jr., doubled to begin the third, and Yamamoto issued a walk. Yamamoto allowed a two-run single.
Freeman singled to open the third and stole second. The Dodgers didn’t score.
Ryan Brasier relieved Yamamoto in the fourth. With one out, Brasier allowed a double but stranded the runner.
With an out in the fourth, Tommy Edman had an infield single. Rojas singled Edman to second. Ohtani singled to load the bases. Edman scored on a wild pitch. Freeman hit into a force play to erase Rojas. Teoscar Hernández had a two-RBI single.
Brasier continued pitching in the fifth. After retiring two, Alex Vesia relieved Brasier. Vesia finished the inning perfectly.
Smith reached on a Manny Machado’s throwing error. Lux singled Smith to third. Smith scored on a double play by Edman.
Vesia continued pitching in the sixth. After two outs, Evan Phillips relieved Vesia and got the last out in the sixth.
The Dodgers didn’t do anything offensively in the sixth.
Phillips continued pitching in the seventh with a perfect inning.
With two outs in the seventh, Smith walked but was stranded.
Michael Kopech relieved Phillips in the eighth. He issued a walk to open the inning. With an out, he issued another walk.
Blake Treinen relieved Kopech with an out in the eighth. Treinen walked a batter to load the bases. He escaped from the jam scorelessly.
Edman singled to begin the eighth. Betts was intentionally walked. The Dodgers didn’t score.
Treinen continued pitching in the ninth. Tatis singled with two outs in the ninth. Treinen walked a batter. He used about 33 pitches to preserve the important victory.
