Note: As The Rafu went to press on Wednesday, the Dodgers were hosting Philadelphia in Game 3 of their NL Division Series, with L.A. leading the best-of-five set, 2-0.
SATURDAY, OCT. 4
NL Division Series
Game 1 vs. the Philadelphia Phillies
The Dodgers pulled out a tightly contested victory against the Phillies in the series opener, 5-3, in a raucous and hostile atmosphere in Philadel-phia’s Citizens Bank Park.
Shohei Ohtani got the victory in his first career playoff start, pitching six innings while striking out nine and giving up three runs.
The game began with the Dodgers looking more like a deer in the head-lights than a World Series contender, as Phillies Chris Sanchez started the game in full control, striking out Ohtani on three pitches.
In the bottom of the second in-ning, Ohtani gave up a leadoff walk to Alec Bohm, followed by a Bran-don Marsh single. On the next play, Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto hit a shot into the gap in right-center. Teos-car Hernández inexplicably seemed to give up on the ball, and it rolled to the wall, allowing the Phillies to score two runs.
Down 3-0 in the sixth, Freddie Freeman was issued a two-out walk and Tommy Edman followed with a single. Kike Hernández then doubled to left, scoring both runners.
David Robinson opened the sev-enth for the Phillies and gave up a single to Andy Pages, then hit Will Smith. With two outs, Teoscar Hernandez hit a dramatic three-run homer to right-center field to put the Dodgers up, 5-3.
Roki Sasaki closed out the ninth for his first career save, and the Dodgers took a 1-0 series lead.
Ohtani finished the night 0-4 with a walk and four strikeouts from the plate, but he earned the all-important win on the mound.
MONDAY, OCT. 6
Game 2 vs. the Philadelphia Phillies
A four-run seventh inning proved to be just enough to catapult the Dodgers to a 4-3 victory and a com-manding 2-0 lead in the NLDS.
The Dodgers broke through in the top of the seventh with a Teoscar Hernandez leadoff single followed by a double by Freeman and a fielder’s choice RBI from Kike Hernandez. Smith singled, scoring Kike and Freeman, and Ohtani knocked in L.A.’s fourth run with a single.
More ineffective relief from Blake Treinen allowed the Phillies to score three, but Sasaki came in with two outs and got Trey Turner to ground out to end the game, getting the save.
Blake Snell pitched six shutout innings of one-hit ball, striking out nine, and was awarded the win.
–Miles Anderson